Stronger After All
by lyokolady
Summary: REWRITTEN Chelsea Cloud is new to the France area and is at loss of friends. When Ulrich welcomes her into the group, the gang goes through a rough time with new feelings. And as Xana attacks more will they let her in the OTHER group? YxUxOC JxA
1. Chapter 1: A New Place

_A/N PLEASE READ: For those of you that have been long time reviewers of my series and have come here in an attempt to get some answers for why I have deleted the four other books then you've come to the right place. My series was out of hand, going of in space, carrying pointless battles and lines and scenes and was just downright confusing. Now that I have the entire plot figured out all you will get is the best of the best from me. Yes the series will be shorter and they probably won't carry as many adventures as they had gone through in the old series but it will be interesting and not complicated at all. The stories aren't gone for good.I have them saved soI can use them as referances. Your reviews were also saved as I needed the advice and plan to keep on using it. I want to thank all of you who have patiently stuck by me while I redo and rethink everything andI hope you enjoy this newer version better. _

_A/N PLEASE READ: For those of you who are new and have just barely come across this book then I must explain that this used to be a five book long series. It is new and redone and defintiely a lot better than the first series as I have been told by a few of the better authors out there. Anyways,I really hope you enjoy this book series as much as my other reviewers have._

_A/N PLEASE READ One more note... knowI deleted a few more stories than just the SAA series. Those books I never planned to carry on anymore. I know a bunch of you were fans of The Dragon Quest. I reread that over a whole bunch of times and absolutely laughed! It was a ridiculous story! Halfway into the first chapter I made the girl burst into dramatic tears because it was raining. And the guy was WAY to perfect. I mean, not even Legolas is like that and this guy was human. Anyways, th pokemon stories...I had no hope in. I plan on at least finishing up the Unfair World Series since I think there's only about five chapters left and that'll be it for my pokemon days. But seriously, if you want the best quality from me then read my Eragon series, Marie's Dragon. I won't have to do any drastic editing in that one because it was just a great start. I will update that book as soon as I possibly can. I'm a busy girl with this being redone, Marie's Dragon and a fantasy novel I'm working on, completely original. _

Chapter 1: A New Place

A young girl about the age of thirteen stepped off a bus, carrying a large amount of luggage with her. She sighed and stopped at the gates of ehr destination, Kadic Academy. It was a bording school, something the girl was used to, having been to multiple schools of different standards on account of her parents' jobs as exotic photographers. So here she was, in France and friendless.

Stalling time before she had to carry on, the girl bent and tied her shoe unaware of three people heading her way.

Besides those three mysterious people there were plenty of other children and teens, talking and holding conversations teens and kids normally have.A few yards in front of the girl, a boy stood leaning against a tree with an older girl standing next to him. The two were carrying on a conversation alien to whatever the rest of the student body was murmuring about. There conversation was toned at a normal voice, as the sounds around the teens was too loud for it to be overheard.

"This is insane, Yumi!"the boy growled to his companion, clenching his fists. "There has been so many attacks on Lyoko, I can't even take time to study anymore. Jeremy and Aelita are even struggling and that's saying something."

The girl nowknown as Yumi nodded her head in agreement, though she was somewhat less agressive then the male next to her. "I know, Ulrich. I wish we had the return-to-the-past system at our leisure again. My parents are getting upset that I'm coming home so late these days."

"Don't worry about that," Ulrich said with a lazy smile at her. "We'll think of some excuse to get you out of trouble."

"Thanks...I always knew I could count on you," Yumi grinned back at him. The two blushed and looked away from one another, lost in the romantic thoughts they were thinking.

A copmfortable, companionable silence was left between the two as enjoyed their free morning. As the sun rested itself on yumi's body she opened her eyes, just noticing something. "Hey Ulrich...who is that?"

Ulrich grudgingly opened his eyes and turned in the direction that Yumi had nodded to. A girl was standing there, looking bewildered, and bored at the same time. As if coming to an absolutely new place was something that happened to her everyday. Ulrich surveyed her with a critical eye. Jeans, green tangtop and tennis shoes. Her hair was a plain brown, and her eyes a dark green. _Just a girl,_ Ulrich thought.

"Little late to be moving in, eh?" Ulrich asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Yeah...I'd hate to be her. When we moved here, I hated not having friends," Yumi said, her voice knowing as she too stared at the girl.

Heturned his attention away fromthe new girlto look at Yumi. "So…the dance is next week..."

Yumi stopped looking and turned to him with a small smile on her face. "Yeah…right after finals."

"I was thinking…do you want to-" Ulrich stopped asa voice rose above his own. He furrowed a brow at the annoyingly high pitch that had interrupted his perfectly planned invitation to ask Yumi to the dance and turned towards it.

A prissy looking girl with her nose turned up high and her hands on hips stood facing the newcomer. Two boys stood behind the prissy girl, arms crossed importantly.

"C'mon! I'm the leader. These guys will listen to anything I say!"the prisssaid, nodding at the two boys standing behind her.

Ulrich's face softened a bit when he saw the new girl bite her lip. He had been in too many situations with Sissy to know that no one deserved to be pestered by her. Besides, the girl was new. She _really_ didn't deserve a treatment from the Diva, nor an invitation into her pathetic group.

Apparently, Yumi was thinking the same thing. They looked at each other and nodded and began to head over to Sissy and the new girl.

The girl was still trying to talk her way out of it. Sissy had deliberatly pushed a bunch of little kids out of her way when she was heading towards her and the new girl wasn't a cruel person. But she wasn't just about to bite Sissy's head off either. Controlling anger was something she was working at.

"Listen…Your group thing really sounds nice and all but-"the girl's pleawas cut off as a cool looking boy with brown hair strutted in between her and Sissy. He was wearing all tan with darker pants and a unbuttoned shirt over his normal one. His very air radiated the word _cool. _

"She's with us," he said. A girlwith short black hair followed after him and took her place by his side. Shewas slightly taller and looked a bit older too.Her air wasn't much different than that of the male's next to her. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt that showed off her stomach. Black pants and boots were on her lower half, giving her the slightest sense of rebellion as well.

"Oh, really!" Sissy countered, arching one of her finely plucked eyebrows. "It just so happensthis girljust got here! How could she have met you?"

The new girl wanted to slap Sissy. She could've gotten out of this!

The girl in black answered and the new girl's doubts were gone. "She's my friend from camp. I met her beforehand. We were just looking for her."

"Yes, Sissy," put in the boy. "Thanks so much for finding her for us."

"Huh! We'll leave it up to her to decide, Ulrich!" she snapped angrily at him. The new girl couldn't help but see that even though Sissy was intimidated by this boy, Ulrich, she was also slightly weakend by his suave behavior. In fact, the girl herself, was transficed by his aura. He was a beakon for coolness and the girl wanted it.

"Eh-hem?" The girl suddenly looked up to see Sissy, Ulrich and the other girl looking at her expectantly.

"Uh, yeah. I'm with Ulrich. I was introduced to him by...uh.." the girl bit her lip in frustration. Why hadn't they said that girl's name?

Ulrich stepped next to her and whispered out of the corner of his mouth a single name. "Yumi."

The girl regained composure quickly. "...by Yumi last night. We're good friends now."

Sissy glared at the three again and opened her mouth for another attack. Ulrich spoke first. "Sissy, why don't you spare my good friend here anymore of your unimportant gabber and leave. Go on...be a good little brat and scat."

With a sniff and a short nod at her cronies, Sissy turned on heel and stomred away.

"Sorry about that," Ulrich said with a sheepish grin. "It's the worst thing in the world when the first person you meet at a new school is the witch weekly."

The girl laughed and shrugged. "It's alright. Though I don;t think I could've handled a few more moments of being nice to her. Godd thing you guys came along."

"Anytime," Yumi said with a smile. She extended a hand. "Yumi Ishiyama."

The girl's green eyes danced as she shook Yumi's hand. "Chelsea Cloud. Pleasure to meet you."

Ulrich stepped up and also shook hands with Chelsea. "I'm Ulrich Stern. Welcome to Kadic."

"Thanks," Chelsea replied. She glanced in Sissy's direction. "So is she always like that or is this just that time of month?"

Ulrich turned slightly pale but Yumi laughed. "Nope she's always like that. Maybe she has a heart somewhere deep inside, who knows?"

"Yeah," Ulrich said with a smirk ."Way deep."

Chelsea grinned at him and sighed, looking at her things. "So...does anyone know where I can put my stuff?"

"Do you have a room number?" Ulrich asked.

Chelsea nodded and bent down to sift through her bag. After a few moments she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper that had her room number on it and she handed it to him.

"That's cool," Ulrich said brightly, examining the paper.

"What's cool?" the girls asked him in unison, smiling at each other afterwards.

Ulrich looked to Yumi. "She has Aelita's room. Guess they finally have space."

"Who's Aelita?" Chelsea asked curiously.

Ulrich and Yumi smiled at her. "She's our friend."

"Yeah," Yumi said. "She just moved here a week ago. So you guys have that in common."

Chelsea smiled. "Is it a habit for you two to go around picking up new students and twisting them into you little games?"

Ulrich laughed. "Yeah. Then we get them to do horrible things. Evil things..."

The three looked at each other and burst out into laughs.

Yumi linked arms with Chelsea. "Come on! We'll show you to your room."

Ulrich was about to same something when a shrill ring escaped his pants. He grinned sheepishly and pulled out the cause of the noise. A cellphone. He looked at the caller, raised his brows and backed away. "Sorry, got to take this."

Chelsea and Yumi stood there while he stood yards away. They could hear his voice but not the words. Chelsea nudged Yumi. "What has he got a girlfriend or something?"

Yumi shook her head but didn't reply. She was looking at Ulrich's worried expression.

Ulrich finally hung up and he headed towards them, his pace determined and quick. "Yumi, we got to go. Odd just called from being attacked by..."

"What?" Yumi asked when Ulrich trailed off. Ulrich looked stranglely at his Japenese friend. "Birds."

Chelsea looked at both of them. "You're kidding, right?"

Ulrich suddenly realized Chelsea was still there. "Oh...uh...no. Something's wrong with themand you need to go inside, okay?"

Chelsea crossed her arms and cocked a hip. "No. You two are obviously going to help your friend...or check it out. I want to go to."

Yumi's eyes flashed. "You can't. This is important and you'd just get in the way."

Suddenly Chelsea felt like she was back in the school she had came from. The school where kids knew she had...problems. She hated being challenged and wouldn't allow it.

"I think I could help," Chelsea said, her voice low.

Ulrich sighed. "Look, we really need to go. We don't want you hurt. Would you please just go inside?"

Chelsea frowned. "If you guys didn't want to be my friends in the first place you could've just left me with Sissy."

With that she picked up her bags and stormed inside. Ulrich rolled his eyes and was about to go after her but Yumi stopped him. "Odd's in the infiramry and Jer needs us to help Aelita on Lyoko. Let's go."

Ulrich sighed and nodded. The two bolted towards the forest, their muscles surging as they thought of the battle ahead.

Chelsea sat inb the cafeteria, feeling cheated and stupid. Why had she even fell for their friend act? They were playing her the whole time and she didn't even recognize it. It was just like it was back in the other school. Only these people didn't know about it and they still didn't like her.

Chelsea jumped suddenly as a sharp rap on the window came. She looked up and realized that there was a bird pecking at the glass. "What the...?"

She watched the sparrow fly away from the window and then came darting back, slmaming it's beak into the glass again, cracking it. The students around Chelsea jumped with surprise as another bird came on the other side of the cafeteria and slammed into the glass.

In about one minute the cafeteria was swarming with birds. They pecked and bit and drove their beaks into the children. Chelsea yelped and dove under a table as a bird lashed out at her arm. It was like being in the movie...but real.

Suddenly everything was frozen. Chelsea stood and looked around, staring widely at the birds and people that hung in midair. A speck of blood was flying off of a nearby student. And they were overcome by a bright light.


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome, Welcome

_Yes another redone chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Oh and Rycr, I am rewriting the whole series. I figure if I do that, things will be less confusing in the later books._

_Chapter 2: Welcome, Welcome_

Chelsea blinked. Had it all been a day dream? Here she was bending over her shoe, tying her laces in front of Kadic. Hadn't she just done this about an hour ago? What had happened?

Chelsea looked up in wonder. The schoolyard looked exactly the same. There was...Ulrich was it? And Yumi leaning against the tree talking. This time however they didn't seem as idle. maybe she had just imagined having friends and imagined the strange bird attack. That's all it was. But if it was a dream, why were Sissy and her friends walking towards her right now?

"Hey new girl!" Sissy called. Chelsea's anger flared slightly, exactly how it had when Sissy had first stormed up to her. If Sissy was her name...

"I'm Sissy Delmas, the principal's daughter! I can see you're new and pathetic so I was thinking you'd join my group!" Sissy grinned.

Chelsea stood,and clenchedher fists. "Look Sissy I-"

"C'mon! I'm the leader. These guys will listen to anything I say!" Sissy said with a nod to the boys behind her.

"Sissy-"

"She's with us," the expected voice said. Chelsea looked up again to see Ulrich and Yumi step in front of her. Maybe it was real! maybe she had viewed the future or something. If anything she knew she had to warn them. Even if they would end up thinking her weird.

"Oh really! It just so happens this girl just got here! How could she have-"

"Hey Ulrich, hey Yumi!" Chelsea said brightly, grinning at the stunned expressions on Ulrich, Yumi and Sissy's faces. "I was looking all over for you guys. How's it going?"

"You...you know them?" Sissy asked weakly.

"Of course!" Chelsea grinned wrapping an arm around either of them. "I met Yumi at camp. And she introduced me to Ulrich yesterday. They're great friends now."

"Well...I-"

Ulrich finally managed to speak up. "Sissy, why don't you spare my good friend here anymore of your unimportant gabber and leave. Go on...be a good little brat and scat."

Sissy scoffed and turned away, her boys following. One boy stopped and turned to Ulrich. "You won't get away with hurting Sissy's feelings!"

Ulrich rolled his eyes. "Like you could do anything to me, Herve. C'mon, try it."

Herve just growled and stromed away, muttering under his breath.

Chelsea breathed and turned to Ulrich and Yumi. "Okay look. I know what I'm going to say might sound strange but I think I just saw the future or something and birds are going to attack. We need to get out of here because they broke the windows and almost hurt me and-"

"Evil birds?" Ulrich laughed. "Wow new girl, you sure have an imagination!"

Chelsea folded her arms stubbornly across her chest. "I _know_ it sounds strange but it happened! You got a call on your phone and then you and Yumi ran off!"

Ulrich kept laughing but Yumi began to look at Chelsea strangely. "So...that's how you know our names?"

"Yes...I'm Chelsea by the way," Chelsea breathed. She looked at yumi hopefully. "Do you believe me?"

"I...don't know. The story is pretty unbelieveable..." Yumi muttered. "Uh...Ulrich, canI talk to you for a moment? Alone?"

Chelsea sighed and walked away. They didn't believe her. All she had to do now was weight until it happened. Then they would believe her. But what if it _was_ a dream and she just made herself look like an idiot? How could this be? She moved and sat down at a bench facing the park forest and stared out at it.

Meanwhile, Yumi and Ulrich were in a desperate conversation.

"How can she know all of this?" Yumi almost shrieked. "How can she remember the return to the past? Jeremy didn't plug her into the computer or anything! How could this have happened?"

"Yumi calm down! I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this. All we have to do is talk to Jeremy!" Ulrich exclaimed, grasping the females shoulders. "Calm down...okay?"

Yumi sighed and dipped her head. She gave a weak smile at Ulrich. "I'm sorry. Just all he attacks."

They looked at each other a bit longer when Ulrich blushed deeply and turned away, a small grin on his face. "So...about the dance..."

Yumi grinned and blushed as well. "Ask me later. Right now you need to go reassue Chelsea that it _was_ a dream. I'll go talk to Jeremy."

Ulrich smiled again and turned away. Yumi turned away as well but quick kissed him on the cheek as she rushed off.

Smiling to himself Ulrich almost walked right past Chelsea before he realized that he had gone to far. he looked up and quickly stepped towards her.

"Hey Chelsea," Ulrich said with a smile. "How's it going?"

Chelsea sighed and brought up her knees. "Are you sure you want to talk to the weird girl who sees the future?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Ulrich said. "Why else would I be talking to you?"

Chelsea raised a brow at him and scoffed. "Thanks."

Ulrich sighed. "Look...maybe it was just some weird...thing. Forget about it. Let's go hang out somewhere."

Chelsea looked up at him. "You still want to hung out with me?"

Ulrich shrugged. "Why not?"

"Because I'm crazy," Chelsea muttered.

"No you aren't!" Ulrich laughed. "C'mon, I'll show you to your room."

"You don't even know the number..." Chelsea muttered, standing nonetheless.

"Uh...let me see then," Ulrich said quickly. He decided right then that he'd be more careful about his words.

* * *

In a room with a large desk filled to bursting with computer equiptment and monitors, a boy the same age as Ulrich and Chelsea was typing away with a bored look on his face. He had been working on the same program for the past week and everything he had tried hadn't worked. With a sigh, he pressed the enter button to try it again.

"Stupid computer!" he shouted, knocking his glasses askew when a red exclamation point popped up on the screen.

"Jeremy? Are you in here?" a female voice called from outside the room.

Jeremy side and patted down his blonde hair and fixed his glasses. "Yes, Yumi. You can come in."

Yumi walked in, an upset look on her face. "Jeremy, Chelsea remembers the return to the past."

"_What?" _Jeremy demanded. He began typing furiously on the computer, bringing up the history of the latest attack. "How is this possible. She doesn't have a character! Nothing at all!"

"Do you think she could be under Xana's control?" Yumi asked, laying a hand on the back of the chair to stare over Jeremy's shoulder. She stared interestedly at the numbers and letters but in reality couldn't understand a single symbol.

"No...I just ran a scan before I tried the antivirus again for Aelita. There's nothing," Jeremy sighed.

"I think we should check out Lyoko...just in case," Yumi said. "This girl remembered our names, the attack-everything. What if she is with Xana and is trying to get to Aelita? This could be dangerous."

Jeremy sighed and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure we should jump to conclusions Yumi. I'll run the scan again and I'll take Odd and Ulrich with me and Aelita tonight to check it out. But I seriously think it was just a minor glitch in the program."

"Do you think we should run anorther trip? So Chelsea will forget that she remembered everything?" Yumi asked, sitting down on Jeremy's bed.

"No...if she remembered this trip what's to say she doesn't remember the next one? And too many trips makes a person exhausted. You guys know that when Xana took contorl of the supercalculator," Jeremy mused.

"What are we going to do then? We don't kn ow if we can trust her and she could find out about the factory," Yumi said, sitting up.

"I know..." Jeremy sighed. "We'll just have to pray Xana doesn't attack anytime soon, or we're in trouble."

* * *

"So you like running?" Ulrich was asking as he and Chelsea made their way up the stairs to the girls' dorms.

"Yeah...it sort of keeps me calm. I tend to get angry at people and I have no other way to control it," Chelsea said. She suddenly stopped and looked at Ulrich, a strange expression on her face. "Why did I just tell you that?"

Ulrich looked at her for a moment. "I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. Your secret safe with me."

They both looked at each other for another moment when Chelsea nodded and smiled. "Thanks Ulrich...glad to have someone I can trust here."

She walked ahead and left Ulrich to stare at her wonderously for a moment. _She's not like most girls,_ Ulrich concluded. _If anything, she's like Yumi's little sister._

"Coming, Tiger?" Chelsea called behind her, a grin on her face.

Ulrich laughed and caught up.

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea Odd?" a timid girl with pink hair was asking. A boy stood across from her, wearing a grin that could match the devil's. He had a blonde hairdue that stuck up in a teardrop shape on his head with a purple...blob in the middle of it.

"Yes, I'm sure," the known as Odd said to the girl. He was standing in her bedroom, pulling back a sling with a rather large water ballon in it. "All we have to do is wait for Jeremy to walk in calling "Oh Aelita!" and let go!"

"And this will bring out the...fun in Jeremy, as you said?" Aelita asked, cocking a pink brow.

"Exactly," Odd smiled. If his ears were that of a dogs, you could alost see them prick as he heard the sound of voices and footsteps heading this way. "Sh, Aelita. he's coming. Get behind the bed and watch the fun!"

Aelita nodded eagerly and raced behind the bed, while Odd stayed behind the sling, holding the humungus water balloons back with ease.

"And this is your room..." a male voice was saying. The door opened and- "BANZAI!"

Screams, and explosion and laughter.

Odd got up, grasping his stomach to look to Jeremy, only to find Ulrich standing their with a new girl, both soaked.

Ulrich clenched his fists and stared at Odd, his hair dripping and helping along the puddle on the floor. "Odd...you have two second to run."

"AH!" Odd yelped and tore out of the room. Ulrich waved back at the new girl before racing after Odd, streaming water behind him.

"Who are you?" Aelita asked, stepping out from behind the bed. The poor new girl was drenched from head to toe in water and had began shivering.

"Chelsea...you're roommate," the girl muttered flatly.

Aelita gasped. "Come in! I'm so sorry! Odd said you probably wouldn't come until later!"

"If you are refering to that idiot who just soaked me than I agree with the 'odd' statement," Chelsea growled, she pulled in one of her bags-the other one Ulrich had been carrying- and sat down on the bed opposite of the occupied one. "How would he know anyway?"

"Uh...well obviously he didn't. That balloon wasn't meant for you or Ulrich," Aelita said with a sigh. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out two outfits that were plain. "Here...you might want to check the clothes in your bag too. I'm sure with a water ballooon of that size they're bound to be wet."

Chelsea took the clothes and shut the door, changing into a shirt and short blue shorts. "Thanks."

"Welcome...I'm Aelita by the way," Aelita said, offering a hand.

Chelsea glanced at it for a moment before shaking it. "Hey, Aelita. So are the boys always like that?"

Aelita grinned. "Actually yes, I think Ulrich picked it up from Odd though."

Chelsea grinned and sighed. She had friends. Living at kadic can't be that bad if she actually had friends this time around.


	3. Chapter 3: Jumping to Conclusions

_Here's another remake! Enjoy people!I might even put the series on hiatus while I redo everything!_

Chapter 3: Jumping to Conclusions

Chelsea sighed. It was dinner time and Aelita had gone to meet her friends while she stayed and got her clothes ready for the laundry. Quickly, she dove into her bag and groaned when she pulled out her damp journal.

"Great...it's wet," Chelsea muttered, setting it on the end table.

"You write in a journal too?" a male voice asked from the door. Chelsea looked up to see Ulrich there. He too was in different clothes, wearing baggy orangepants and a white shirt.

"Why, you do?" Chelsea questioned looking away to pull more of her clothes out.

Ulrich nodded and walked into the room. "Sorry about Odd's prank. He's always pulling stuff like that."

Cheslea snorted and turned to him. "So Odd _is_ his name?"

Ulrich looked at her for a moment before laughing. "Yeah, Odd is his name. It fits, I'll tell you."

Chelsea chuckled and gathered up her clothes. "So what do I owe this unexpected visit, Ulrich?"

"Aelita told me that since I know you best that I'm supposed to come and get you," Ulrich said with a shrug.

Chelsea gave him a small smile. "Well, at least you didn't lie about it."

Ulrich grinned and followed her to the laundry room and waited while she threw her clothes in the washer. "So are you planning on eating or am I going to have to drag you to the cafeteria?"

Chelsea glanced at him. "You can try. I've been going to schools like this one alone for years. My parents sent me to self defense classes."

Ulrich raised his brows. "Really? Me and Yumi know a bit of martial arts ourselves. We should share some moves."

Chelsea laughed and closed the washer walking out and falling into step with him. "I don't know...Yumi doesn't really seem to like me after I went into that little tirade on the future sight crap. Sure you're the only one that doesn't have it in for me?"

Ulrich rolled his eyes as they went down the stairs. "Yumi doesn't hate you. She's just hard to get to know. It was like that when Aelita came too. She just doesn't like sharing the guys."

Chelsea raised a brow at the look Ulrich got when he talked about her and a sly grin spread on her face. Ulrich cocked his head at her. "What was that?"

Chelsea wiped the smile off her face. "What was what?"

"That smile! What was it for?" Ulrich demanded.

"Nooothing," Chelsea said with a laugh.

"Suuure! What was it for, c'mon, Chels!" Ulrich pleaded.

"You like Yumi, huh?" Chelsea asked.

Ulrich paled slightly and turned serious. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't."

"Chelse-"

"If it isn't the new girl and Ulrich...alone in the hallway!" Ulrich and Chelsea stiffened and looked up to see Sissy standing at the bottom of the stairs, an evil grin on her face.

"So what if we are? Means nothing," Chelsea growled, clenching her fists.

"I don't know...Ulrich _never_ takes to girls so easily..." Sissy smiled. "I'm sure Yumi would _love_ to hear about this little date."

_"Date?" _Ulrich demanded. "This isn't a date, Sissy! Chelsea's my friend, I'm showing her around. Yumi even put me up to it!"

Sissy just smirked. "Whatever Ulrich. Hey...did you know that Yumi is staying for dinner tonight?"

Ulrich and Chelsea looked at each other in horror but when they looked back to Sissy she was already bursting into the cafeteria.

* * *

Yumi sighed pleasantly as she settled herself down next to Aelita. She had asked her parents if she could stay for dinner just once and had even okayed it with Sissy's father behind the girl's back. Surprisingly Sissy had actually looked pleased when she walked into the cafeteria that night to see Yumi sitting with her friends.

"So where's Ulrich?" Yumi asked, discreetly hiding her slight annoyance at his absence. He was the main reason she was here. Well...him and her friends. But Yumi really wanted to give Ulrich another chance to ask her to the dance at the end of the week.

Odd and Aelita started sickering to themselves. Odd grinned at Yumi. "I don't know where he is right now butman, Yumi you should have been here earlier!"

"What happened earlier?" Jeremy asked, looking up for once from his laptop.

"Me and Aelita set up a trap to bomb you with huge water balloons!" Odd exclaimed cheerfully.

Jeremy set his jaw in annoyance as Aelita continued, giggling along with Odd. "So we set it up and I hid behind the bed, right? And the door opens and Odd lets the water ballons fly! Only it hit Ulrich and Chelsea instead!"

At the memory of their wonderful con, Aelita and Odd burst into harmonous laughs, ending with Odd pounding rudely on the table and Aelita gasping for breath.

Yumi frowned slightly. "Why was Ulrich with Chelsea?"

"So that's her name?" Odd asked with a grin. Yumi frowned at him and he silenced himself.

Aelita continuned for him. "Ulrich was showing her around. She's actually my roommate."

Yumi raised her brows and dove over to Jeremy. "Now can we be suspiscious. How could she remember the return to the past trip and then magically end up as Aelita's roommate? it doesn't make sense!"

"Okay, okay!" Jeremy replied. "We'll go to the factory after dinner. This is a bit strange so I think we can skip out on curfew."

"Thank you Jeremy..." Yumi muttered. "It's just that...what if she's tyring to get to Ulrich too, you know?"

Jeremy nodded but then turned slightly back towards her. "Are you sure you just aren't jealous that Ulrich has a new female friend that he seems to get along with?"

Yumi just glared at him and slumped back down in her seat just in time to save her dinner from Odd.

"Oh Yumi!" Yumi groaned and looked up to see Sissy strutting towards her, a broad grin on her face.

"What do you want Sissy? Ulrich isn't here right now so you don't need to bug us," Yumi growled, picking at her food as she once again imagined where Ulrich could be.

"Of course he isn't here...he's on a date," Sissy said with a wicked grin.

Yumi's head shot up. "With who...?"

"The new girl...Chelsea. I bet you they'll even walk in together.They look absolutely adorable together don't they?" Sissy smirked. Suddenly the doors of the cafeteria burst open and sure enough, Chelsea and Ulrich came in together.

"Have fun!" Sissy grinned and she strutted off, sending the same evil grin at Ulrich and Chelsea as they made their way to the table.

Ulrich swiftly sat down next to Yumi. "Yumi...whatever Sissy said-"

"She didn't say anything out of the ordinary...you're allowed to go out with whoever you want," Yumi muttered picking at her food.

"But we aren't-" Chelsea tried to say.

"Excuse me...I believe I was talking to Ulrich," Yumi snapped.

Ulrich furrowed a brow. "Well if you aren't going to listen to her are you going to listen to me?"

"It's fine...I don't have to go to the dance with you." Yumi realized she was grinding her teeth.

"But I-"

"I', done with m food. Jeremy...I suggest you go on the mission quickly...get this sorted out," Yumi said. She stood and dumped her tray. "In fact I'll go with you."

"But-"

"It's _fine _Jeremy," Yumi growled.

"Yumi!" Ulrich demanded.

"Just let it go, Ulrich," Yumi said and she stormed out of the cafeteria.

Aelita stood, shooting a glare at Ulrich. "I thought you liked her."

She was out the door before Ulrich had a chance to reply.

Odd patted Ulrich on the back and shot Chelsea a look, following the girls out. Jeremy stopped and whispered something in Ulrich's ear before leaving also.

With a sigh, Chelsea slumped down on the table, grasping her head miserably. "I'm sorry Ulrich..."

Ulrich repeated her suit and sat down in front of her. "It's not your fault...Yumi's been on edge lately and Sissy's just a witch."

"But I ruined everything for you and Yumi. Now you're the only one in this whole school theat'll speak to me," Chelsea groaned.

Ulrich frowned. "I'll set things straight with Yumi and the guys, okay? But I'm going to have to be alone wiht them fora bit to do it..."

"I'll go hang out in my room," Chelsea volunteered.

"Okay...don't feel bad," Ulrich said trying to give her a hopeful smile but it came out as a grimace. "I'll have everything fixed...soon."

Chelsea just nodded slowly and began the walk to her dorm room, feeling horribly unwelcome and miserable.

* * *

Jeremy sent everyone immediately to Lyoko but try as they might they could find nothing in the system regarding Chelsea at all. Ulrich, true to his word managed to convince Aelita, Jeremy and Odd the truth in his plight but Yumi would still not hear him. She was stubborn and tired and even got so fed up with his bugging that she flung a fan at him, devirtualizing him from the sector.

As Ulrich stopped he elevator and took his place behind Jeremy at the supercomputer, Jeremy sighed and said, "Yumi...we've checked all of the sectors including any information in Sector 5. there's nothing on Chelsea remembering that attack. I say it;s nothing big unless she remembers the next one. Then we have a problem."

"And I'm telling you, Jeremy, that there is something seriously wrong with that girl!" Yumi snarled at him. She was about to head into a tower to travel to the ice region agan when she was swftly devirtualized.

"Finally..." Jeremy muttered, his finger still on the enter button. He continued typing. "Materialization Odd. Materialization Aelita."

The elevator began to whir a few minutes later and out stormed one angry Yumi. "We could've checked Sector 5 again! There are a billion codes in there and Aelita only checked a few!"

"Yumi!" Jeremy roared, grasping his temples. "I know all of these attacks are getting to you. So go home. Get some bloody sleep and talk to me like a civilized human being tomorrow."

Yumi folded her arms across her chest and sighed, walking slowly back to the elevator.

Ulrich took this opportuinity to leap into it as the doors shut. "Yumi just hear me out.It wasn't a date. I don't like her like that."

"Whatever..." Yumi muttered.

"Listen to what your concluding!" Ulrich exclaimed. "You're listening to Sissy, of all people and you won't listen to me, your long time best friend? How wrong does that sound?"

Yumi stopped for a moment and then groaned and collapsed, leaning against the elevator door. "Ohknow...you are so right...what was I thinking?"

"I don't think you were..." Ulrich said, a small grin on his face as he bent down to view her better.

"How can you even forgive me for acting like a jerk to you and-oh no...Chelsea must think I hate her," Yumi moaned.

Ulrich smiled and offered a hand. "I never said you were out of the doghouse yet...you have to do something for me."

Yumi looked up at him. "What?"

"Will you go to the dance with me?" Ulrich asked, blushing cherry red afterwards.

Yumi smiled as he began to stare at a really interesting piece of rust in the corner of the elevator. "Yes."

"Hm? Sorry didn't catch that," Ulrich said, looking up. His face was serious but his brown eyes were dancing.

"Yes, you knucklehead. I'll go to the dance with you," Yumi grinned.

"Good," Ulrich said and smiled at her.


	4. Chapter 4: Ice Rain

_Hello again everyone! Please review if you read. I take anonymous ones too! I hope you like this chapter. It's pretty suspenseful._

Chapter 4: Ice Rain

When the group returned from their late night trip, they found Chelsea already asleep in her bed so Ulrich walked Yumi home and everyone decided to clear things up with their new friend in the morning...and plan some payback on dearest Sissy.

Chelsea arose the next morning with a horrible feeeling in the pit of her stomach. With a sigh, she pulled on the second pair of clothing Aelita had lent her and walked out of the dorm to an early breakfast, moving quietly as not to wake Aelita.

Walking into the almost empty cafeteria, she was surprised to see Odd and Ulrich sitting and talking. Odd waved her over after she had gotten her food and she slowly began her way towards them. She glanced outside the windows as she sat to see large gray clouds rolling in.

"Hey Chelsea," Odd said with a grin. Chelsea looked to Ulrich in confusion who just smiled and kept eating.

As Chelsea kept silent, picking at her...strange looking food, Odd poked her in the shoulder. "We cleared things up last night. You can talk you know."

Chelsea sighed. "I know...I still feel really horrible."

"Hey, I wouldn't have hated you even if you were dating Ulrich," Odd said with a shrug. When Chelsea and Ulrich shot him a look he chuckled nervously. "Of course you aren't dating Ulrich so everything is fine anyway."

Chelsea sighed and rested her head on a hand. "So Yumi doesn't want to kill me?"

"No..." Ulrich said. he sort of spaced out right then and blushed when Odd and Chelsea stared. "What?"

"You asked her out, didn't you?" Chelsea asked.

Ulrich blushed deeper and nodded. "To the dance. She's going to try and make up her bad attitude to you."

Chelsea raised a brow. "Don't change the subject."

"So Chelsea," Ulrich began. "My sport is usually soccer but the season's been postponed because the league is going to be bought by someone else. So...you want to try out for the track team with me tomorrow?"

Chelsea smiled slowly at him. Ulrich sure knew how to balance his friends out. He liked Yumi, was friends with Chelsea and...Chelsea really had no idea what kind of relationship Ulrich had with Aelita. With another shrug she nodded and said, "Sure Ulrich. It'll be good for me. Thanks...but you changed the subject."

"Hey Chelsea..." Odd began slowly. "Me and Ulrich were thinking...do you want to help us prank Sissy for screwing everything around last night?"

Ulrich nodded eagerly at the idea. "Yeah! We're planning on a fake date thing. You can't tell Yumi though...she'd get really mad."

Chelsea sat up eagerly, forgetting about Ulrich and his love life. "Are we going to hit her with water balloons?"

Odd blushed as Ulrich and Chelsea stared pointedly at him.

"Of course not," Odd grinned. "Here's what we're going to do..."

* * *

Jeremy sat peacefully in his bed, typing at his computer. He grinned. School didn't start for another three hours and he had gotten an inspiration only four hours ago! He was praying that the new program he had been working on would help with the towers and maybe solve what happened with Chelsea. Of course he'd need to work on it for a couple of days before he tried anything. 

Suddenly a beeping broke the peace, slamming into Jeremy's silent-accustomed ears harshly. Jeremy tore towards the computer and brought up the screen. There, in the middle was a picture of a tower in the desert sector beeping with that annoying red exclamation point. Crap.

* * *

Yumi sighed as she started across the schoolyard. She had come early, hoping to catch some talking time with Ulrich and a chance to apologize to Chelsea...but mostly to chat with Ulrich. She was hoping that maybe after the dance their friends with benefits reign would be over and they'd finally begin to date exclusively. 

As she was about to enter the building an icy blast of wind suddenly hit her hard, slamming her into the door.

"What's going on...?" Yumi managed to groan as rain suddenly began to pelt her face. Her body, shaking in cold tremors moved upward and she twisted around, barely managing to slip into the room.

She fell to the ground, her eyes swimming dizzily as she tried to warm herself. Finally she was able to become steady and she stumbled into the cafeteria.

* * *

"That's an insane plan," Chelsea stated flatlyafter listening to Odd and Ulrich's scheme. She smiled. "Let's do it." 

"Okay...plan on it tonight. I'll call Aelita to get you-"

Odd," Ulrich growled, rolling his eyes. "Why don't we just get her cell number?"

Chelsea giggled as Odd sheepishly nodded. "Of course...I was just...testing you."

The three exchanged numbers. Ulrich suddenly reache dover and took Chelsea's cell. "I'm going to plug Jeremy, Aelita and Odd in here...just in case."

"Hey that's a nice cell phone..." Odd commented, staring at the silver cell.

Chelsea grinned at him. "It's even waterproof."

"Really? That's awesome...but mine is way better! It has unlimited minutes!" Odd exclaimed.

"Only because your mom's afraid she's going to lose you half the time," Ulrich muttered.

"Hey! Not my problem I have five other brothers and sisters," Odd laughed with a shrug.

"So...I have everyone's number now?" Chelsea questioned as Ulrich handed her phone back to her. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak when suddenly a crash stopped him in midsentence.Yumi was laying in the the entrance of the cafeteria, shivering heavily.

Ulrich leapt to her side. "Yumi! Are you alright?"

Yumi coughed and let herself be taken up into Ulrich's arms as she managed to speak. "I...think...Xana..."

Without a word she went limp in his arms, only moving to shiver slightly in her restless sleep.

Chelsea bent beside Ulrich. "What does Xana mean?"

Ulrich looked at her. "Danger..."

* * *

Jeremy raced through the halls. He was heading towards the doors for the factory but still worry was with hi. he hadn't seen Aelita all morning. Despite the fact that he hadn't even left his room all moring, Aelita was supposed to visit him the second she woke up. it was more of tradition then an actual rule.

* * *

"Odd! Get Jeremy! Yumi's right...this must be an attack!" Ulrich exclaimed, lifting Yumi up. He turned to Chelsea. "Come with me." 

"Okay..." Chelsea muttered, slightly afraid. Ulrich didn't show any fear but Odd got a dropping look on his face and Yumi was unconscious. Something must be wrong.

Ulrich took off down the hall, Chelsea hot on his heels. He went to Dorothy. "Nurse? Yumi was just outside. Sleet is coming down hard and she barely made it in!"

"Oh, dear!" the nurse exclaimed. She took Yumi immediately, Ulrich and Chelsea following. "This is the fifth person to collapse form that blasted rain. You kids shoo. I need space to work."

"C'mon," Ulrich said, grabbing Chelsea's arm. He faced her."I need you to go to your room and get warm. Something is wrong okay?"

"What's going on Ulrich? Really?" Chelsea demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. Something strange was going on. Her friends were afraid and it worried her. Yumi was in the infirmary now, because of the weather outside. Odd was getting Jeremy and all of them were moving like cheetahs to get to the places they needed to be. And the only tiem Chelsea could recall the group racing around like this was in her "dream" when the birds attacked. Somehow, Chelsea thought that this might be connected. But then, would that make her dreaming again?

Ulrich just shook his head and went running. "I'll talk later, Chelsea."

* * *

Aelita was jogging slowly across the field towards the forest. Rain was hitting her cold skin mercilessly causing her to stop everynow and then and shake in freezing tremors. Her eyelashes were thick with ice which made it hard for her to see and her legs were bare and numb. 

The second she had seen Yumi race into the cafeteria she had known it was Xana and instead of waiting for Jeremy and the others to call her up, she began her way there herself.

The rain was only slightly slower in the forest but it seemed to kept a pretty light pace all around. Aelita knew that it was just because Xana wanted her alive and ready to Lyoko. The others would have a much harder time getting here.

* * *

"Later..." Chelsea repeated that word for the second time since Ulrich had ran off. She furrowed a brow. "I want to know now." 

With that, she raced after him.

* * *

Aelita shivered fiercly as she stepped into the factory. The large room filled with just a single super computer and a hologram map was empty except for herself. Aelita stiffened as she heard the sound of hail begin to crash down upon the factory and she raced to the computer, setting her pink cell phone next to the keyboard. 

"Starting the virtualization countdown..." Aelita muttered. She pressed the enter button and dodged into the open elevator. "Now."

* * *

Jeremy and Odd raced through the stormy weather. Hail was now pelting down on them harshly, stinging their skin like a thousand tiny bees. Their lungs were being smothered from the ice, and the air as they ran, causing their feat to become slower. And still they ran though, Jeremy set on the idea of finding Aelita waiting for him and Odd overwhelmed by the excitement of another mission. 

Close behind them, Ulrich was catching up. His speed was slightly faster than theirs' helping him on his way. But he was being held back by reluctance. He'd rather stay by Yumi if he could but letting Odd go on a solo mission was just outrageous, especially with the other boy's tendancy to take things less serious than they should be. Ulrich was also set on the thought that Chelsea might ignore his wishes. She would be in horrible danger if she came outside. Luckily he, Jeremy and Odd had decided to bundle up as much as they could but would Chelsea really do that? Knowing only slightly of her determination Ulrich could only hope that she listened to him. After all, if Chelsea were to die in this weather, she'd die for real.

The three boys dodged down into the sewers, exhaling as they were brought out of the weather. But they needed to hurry. A flood was starting up in the sweres. All ready they were riding their skateboards and scooter through water that had overlapped the edge of the walk.

* * *

Chelsea almost froze as she watched Ulrich and the others dive into a sewer main. With this horrible weather and fact that the sewers might be flooding Chelsea found it hard to believe that Ulrich was actually going down there. 

_Maybe they like doing those insanse sports. That's why they're going down there...to surf in the sewers..._Chelsea contemplated the sport theory a little more as she climbed down the ladder just in time to see which corner Jeremy flew by. She quickly demolished that theory as judging from what she knew about Jeremy, he wasn't a sporty type. And besides, she highly doubted that the boys would abandon Yumi in a life-threatening situtation only to threaten their own.

But that left no other reason why they would go into the sewers. What could they possibly do down there to benefit Yumi.

Chelsea rubbed her numbclothed arms as she turned the corner only to find that besides the rushing, icy water and the soaking wall, the sewer passage was empty and she was lost.

* * *

Aelita sighed as she dropped down into the desert region, dressed in her pink elf like garb. She tookunfeeling breath of relief at the loss of the icy cold rain against her pale skin.. She glanced around and with a sigh, realized that she ahd forgotten to virtualize a vehicle. Looking ahead she spotted the glowing red tower about a half mile in front of her, leading off onto a moving, broken path and finally, the glowing red tower. What bothered Aelita the most was that it lay unguarded. And since it was unguarded, Aelita could only suspect that the Scythezoa would pay her a visit. All she could do was pray that someone was going to get here in time to help us out. With a determined nod, the girl went ahead.

* * *

Jeremy stood impatiently in the elevator as it went down to the computer room. Beside him, Odd stood, eagerly awaiting another round on Lyoko. Ulrich leaned against the elevator wall, hiding his fear for Yumi and his anxious worry for Chelsea. 

As Jeremy glanced at the companion on the far side, he wondered how Ulrich could tkae all of this danger and _not_ be worried. Of course he knew Ulrich was worried, but with yumi in danger he figured the boy might at least show it. However Ulrich just stood stock still in the elevator awaiting his time to help Aelita to the tower.

Jeremy did not even bother to wnder why Odd was so happy. He knew that more than anything except for maybe food, Odd loved the trips to Lyoko and for some reason that bugged Jeremy. With Aelita potentially in danger and Yumi on the brink of death, Jeremy sometimes wanted to hit Odd over the head for being so darn happy.

Finally the elevator opened and Jeremie dodged in.

"Jeremy! Are you there!" Aelita's panicked voice was coming from the computer.

Jeremy dove into the chair and threw the headset on. "Yes, Aelita. Odd and Ulrich are on their way!"

With that, the two boys in the elvator pressed the button and headed down, not needing another invitation to be virtualized.

Jeremy grimaced as he viewed what was causing Aelita to stress. Three dots had her trapped against a boulder, preventing her to head towards the tower. Within seconds the Schythezoa appeared on the screen, slinking it's way towards Aelita.

"Ready guys?" Jeremy called, bringing up his comrades characters.

"Ready Jeremy," Ulrich's voice answered through theheadset from the scanner room.

With that, Jeremy began the virtualization process. "Transfer, Ulrich!"

* * *

Chelsea spun around and turned back the way she had come. Glancing around the sewers she realized she had no idea where the ladder had been. She had even closed the sewer main behind her. Panicked, she tried to go the way Jeremy had gone, slushing through the rsing water. 

The sewers were steadily filling. Already it was up to Chelsea's ankles and she could hardly tell which was deep water and which was the sidewalk. Rain was seeping through the tops and pouring down on the girl's head until she was positively soaked and freezing. her warm clothes that she had thrown on before, like the boys had done were now heavy and wet.

A wave of rushing water burst down one of the sewer halls, hitting Chelsea square in the hip and knocking her down. She was flung into the deeper water, sending her kicking and swimming, trying to go up but not knowing up and trying to feel ground but was lost in the muck.

She burst over the surface, coughing and gasping for breath. In desperation she climbed to the sidewalk and stood, yanking out her cell phone. She quickly dialed Ulrich's number, realizing she would need to set her friends on speedial from now on. Chelsea howled in frustration whenUlrich didn't answer and she tried Odd too but he didn't pick up either. Suddenly she remembered Ulrich had plugged in jeremy and Aelita's number as well.

Quickly, Chelsea dialed Aelita's number.

* * *

"Okay guys, get Aelita fast," Jeremy was saying. "The Scythezoa is already here!" 

Suddenly an annoying ringing errupted in the computer room. Jeremy searching for the sound only to see Aelita's pink cell phone next to the keyboard. He wondered if he should answer, knowing that Aelita hadn't given her phone out to anyone else...so maybe it was Yumi.

Auickly he answered. "Hello?"

"Jeremy is that you?" Jeremy was surprised to hear Chelsea's panicked voice come from the phone. But even moreso that the loud sound of rushing water was barely letting the girl's voice be heard.

"Chelsea! What's going on?" Jeremy demanded.

"I'm stuck in the sewers-I'm sorry I followed you guys but-" Chelsea's voice was cut off as the huge sound of water broke it.

"Chelsea? Hello? Chelsea!" Jeremy cried into the phone.

Chelsea coughed and sputtered and finally answered. "I'm sorry i followed you guys...b-but I'm lost and it's flooding and I might drown-Oh!"

The line went dead abruptly after that. jeremy gaped at Aelita's phone. Now not only was Yumi near death but Chelsea might already be lost!

"Hurry up, guys!" Jeremy called into the headset at Odd and Ulrich's beeping dots. "Chelsea followed us."

_"Oh no..."_ Ulrich muttered._ "Is she there?"_

"No worse. She's stuck in the sewers. Her line just went dead and the sewers are flooding."

_"Then what are we waiting for?"_ Odd asked._ "Let's go!"_

* * *

Ulrich charged forward at Odd's statement. he was dressed in a samurai's outfit, a trusty reverse balde in it's sheith on his waist. Just like Aelita his form had changed. But now he had powers. He could make two clones of himself. He could run faster than the speed of light. And he planned to use these weapons in order to help Aelita, Yumi and Chelsea now. 

Ahead of him and Odd, who was now dressed in purple and yellowwith claws on his handsrunning atUlrich's lower left, was Aelita, pressed against a large boulder surrounded by three blocks and the Scythezoa..

"Odd, cover me!" Ulrich called behind to his partner and he leaped forward, twisting out his blade and holding it in front of him.

Aelita yelped as the Scythezoa wrapped its jellyfish-like tentecles around her, pressing two to her head.

"C'mon Ulrich," Jeremy murmured, his voice echoing across the sky.

Ulrich bent his knees and leaped into the air with a mighty call. As he was coming back down, just off to the side of the Scythezoa, he slashed his blade down, cutting it into the tentacles.

Odd leaped into the circle behind Ulrich and fired at the nearest offending block. It exploded at the teenager's true aim.

As the wounded Scythezoa retreated, Ulrich leapt in front of Aelita's fallen figure as the two other angry blocks decided it was time to attack. Ulrich manuevered his sword around in difficult alignments, blocking the lasers that were being shot at Aelita.

Odd flipped towards the one blocks, motioning to Ulrich to take the other one.

Aelita rubbed her head as her vision came into focus and she looked up to see that her friends were busying the attackers. Seeing her opening Aelita sprang to her feet and raced towards the first moving path as it went up and down.

* * *

Chelsea groaned with frutration as her cell phone was knocke dout of her hands.smashed against the wall from a wave. It was waterproof but definitely not smashing proof. Struggling she began to climb the wall. It was slippery and wet but using her leg muscles to heave herself, she managed to reach the little ledge on the side of the wall and sit herself on it. The water had been up to her stomach byt the time her phone was destroyed. She could only hope now that the boys were helping her. She knew that they were doing something. they wouldn't let her down.

* * *

Nurse Dorothy was panicked as she paced around the hospital room. The cases were so many she had to place some people on the floor. Students, teachers everywhere were dropping from the cold because they hadn't been dressed for it. And each and all of them were getting horribly sick from it.

_Maybe if they had at least had a coat or a jacket on they would've gotten inside..._ Dorothy thought to herself. She walked over to one of the first ones to get caught in the storm. A ninth grader dressed in black and she pressed her hand to the girls forehead, only to yank it away wuickly. It was as if Yumi's head was on fire it was so hot. the girl was twitching and flimching and moaning in her feverish sleep.

Quickly, Dorothy put a thermometor in Yumi's mouth. When it was done, the nurse gaspe din surprise at the temperature. 105.

* * *

Ulrich shoved his blade into the blocks weak point and using his superspeed, leapt off it. He looke dover at his friend just in time to see Odd fiish off his block too.

"Aelita! You're good to go!" Ulrich called.

Aelita nodded distractedly as she counted the pace of the moving paths. When she had gootten them all she waited a moment before leaping from one to the other, landing on the last hard spinnning one. She grasped her head dizzily. Just one more jump...

* * *

Chelsea gasped as the water reached her little ledge and pushed upward. Quickly, she raised her hands and pressed them against the ceiling as not to be forced up by the waves.

* * *

Aelita leaped onto the next one and raced into the tower.

* * *

Chelsea gasped for breath as the water pushed up more. She was kicking for her life.

* * *

Aelita raised onto the highest platform and laid her hand on the pad. AELITA.

* * *

The water rised up and sealed the little airspace that she had. _This is the end.._

* * *

_CODE_

_LYOKO_

* * *

"Jeremy launch it!" Ulrich called.

Jeremy nodded from his spot at the computer and typed in the codes. "Return to the past now!


	5. Chapter 5: Impossible

_Hah...a little hint in here on a permanent guest star that will probably be coming in the second book. This one is only about how Chelsea joins the gang._

Chapter 5: Impossible

Chelsea blinked. She was back in her room in her bed. Actually she was standing in her pajamas holding her wiped her like hard ball. Wasn't she just about to drown? Hadn't it been just a few seconds earlier that the water had overlapped the only pocket of air she could breath? And Yumi had passed out! And Chelsea had followed the boys to thesewers! But here she was...looking around her room, bewildered. It was almost exactly like the bird incident!

"_What is going on?"_ Chelsea yelled aloud.

Aelita shot up in bed to see Chelsea looking around wildly. Juding from the panicked look on the other girl's face, the pink haired teen knew immediatelythat it had happened again. Chelsea had remembered the return to the past. But this time, she knew that her friends had something to do with it.

Chelsea suddenly looked over at Aelita and realized that she was awake. Aelita had something to do with this didn't she? After all it was Aelita's phone that Chelsea had called when she was trapped in the sewers. And who answered? Jeremy! And Chelsea had seen Jeremy race through the sewers with Ulrich and Odd! With realization and crazed ferocity, Chelsea dove towards Aelita and grabbed the next of her shirt, pulling her eye to eye. "What is going on? I demand to know! I know you know what's happening and I would just _love_ it if you told me before I go insane!"

A knock came on the door but after the yelling the person just walked in. Jeremy saw Chelsea holding Aelita by the neck and gasped.

Aelita bit her lip. She knew Jeremy wasn't a sucker when it came to his friends getting into trouble. And she was also aware of the fact that she and Jeremy were unofficially dating. "Jeremy wait-"

Jeremy gave a battle cry as he furiously tackled Chelsea to the ground. Chelsea just let herself be pinned as her wide eyes darted around the room, trying to place everything where it went.

"You try and touch her again-"

"Jeremy wait!" Aelita cried. Shelaid a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. "Let her go…she knows, Jeremy. She remembers."

Jeremy's eyes went wide and he backed off of Chelsea, to grasp his head and lean against Aelita's bed. "Call the others. We have to have a meeting."

Chelsea finally regained her composure. "What is happening to me? Why am I seeing these alternate days? Why did I almost drown? _What the heck happened?"_

"Chelsea!" Aelita said, moving to Chelsea again. "We will explain everything, okay? You just have to calm down."

Chelsea looked up at her incredulously and sighed. "So I'm not insane?"

Aelita let out a relieved chuckle. "No…but you have to let Jeremy, I and the others talk about this before we tell you, okay?"

Chelsealet out a shaky breath and collapsedagainst the desk.Her body was still shaking from fear and confusion as she curled up into a ball and set her head on her knees.

Aelita sighed and stood. "Jeremy, you need to go get Odd and Ulrich. If memory serves correct they're in the cafeteria right about now."

"But-"

"Let me talk her down..." Aeltia urged.

Jeremy set his jaw. "Fine. Be careful though."

Aelita pulled on her clothes and grabbed a bag in the corner. "Here are your clothes. They just got finished."

Chelsea didn't reply. She only took her clothes and pulled on some jeans a T-shirt and a sweater, then moving to her bed and taking her journal off the nightstand.

* * *

Jeremy sighed as he went down the stairs. So maybe he overreacted when he tackled Chelsea…for all he knew Xana could've launched an attack on his way over to their room and possessed Chelsea. Jeremy would stop at nothing if Aelita was in harm's way. He'd attack anyone if they had a hold on Aelita. She meant the world to him and he wasn't afraid to show it. 

Jeremy glanced at the sky as he walked into the cafeteria and groaned when he saw a storm roaming in. It won't be as bad as Xana's storm of course but he was sick of the weather. The gloomy clouds only added to the horrible predicament the gang was in now. Adding a seventh member to the gang...one they didn't even know very well and didn't know if they could trust. Ulrich was the only one Chelsea had really opened up to and how much the others knew little about. Jeremy wasn't even sure he could trust Chelsea if he got to know her. She was determined and could obviously put up a fight, he'd give her that...but her temper seemed to get the best of her putting others in danger. _Like grabbing Aelita,_ Jeremy thought grimly. If Chelsea couldn't even contorl her own feelings, how could she stand fast against the fight with Xana?

"Hey Jeremy," Ulrich called from the table. He cocked his head to the side. "Chelsea was actually going to be the first to get here."

Jeremy sat down and rubbed his temples. "Not this time…she remembered the trip again. Only this time she almost killed Aelita and thinks she went insane since a few minutes before the trip she almost drowned."

Ulrich and Odd went pale at the statement. Odd, however, recovered quickly. "Well, can we have her on the team? I mean, Ulrich, didn't you say she took self-defense classes?"

Ulrich nodded. "Well, yeah but-"

"We don't know if we can trust her all the way, Odd," Jeremy said. "In fact...I don't agree to letting her be on the team at all. She seems too unpredictable. You guys said you had trouble getting her away when Xana possessed the birds. And she seems too high-strung."

"Are you serious?" Odd demanded. "Where are we going to find another opportunity like this, Jeremy? She can fight. She's roommates with Aelita. And she hit it off with Ulrich and me. You think the odds of finding another person with all those attributes are good?"

"No but I'm telling you she can be dangerous," Jeremy argued. "Besides...she doesn't seem to sit well with Yumi."

"That was only because of Sissy," Ulrich spoke up. "To me...she just seems insecure about herself."

"And it's those insecurites are keeping her from being trustworthy," Jeremy countered.

Odd sighed and crossed his arms, turning to his best friend next to him. "Hey Ulrich, did you call Yumi to see if she's okay?"

Ulrich nodded. "She's doing fine. Remembering being that sick got to her but she's okay."

Jeremy sighed. "I can't imagine. But we really should continue this discussion when she gets here."

Right on cue Yumi walked through the doors, looking better than she had the first time around. She grinned when she spotted the boys and began her way towards them. That smile slowlydropped as she neared their grim looking faces."Hey guys…why the long faces?"

"Chelsea remembers," Ulrich stated solemnly.

"What? How?" Yumi asked, her face suddenly hard.

"That's what we want to know," Odd said. The three boys stood. "Time for the meeting."

"We're having a meeting?" Yumi questioned.

Ulrich nodded at her as they all made their way towards the dorms. "How else can we settle this?"

When they reached Aelita's room, they opened the door to find Aelita speaking soothingly to Chelsea, whose eyes were wide and red. Yumi suddenly felt sorry for Chelsea. She could only imagine how strange it must feel to remember things like the bird attack and almost drowning and then not knowing how or why it was happening. Even more Yumi pitied the girl for as suddenly as these events began, she met a group of people who lied at first and then came up telling her they know why she's going insane. But immediately the sorry feelings vanished and were replaced with her hidden competitive onesas Chelsea looked up at them with fury in her eyes.

"I want to know what you lot are doing to me and I'd like to know now," Chelsea growled, moving away from Aelita to stand and glare angrily at each and every one of them.

"We need to have a meeting alone first," Jeremy said, his vvoice just as steady and his vote to have Chelsea in the group growing more steadily negative.

"I feel I should hear about this," Chelsea said, eyeing Yumi.

"We need to talk about this alone, Chelsea," Yumi replied, her tone just as dangerous.The two girls were like two starning, rabid dogs about to fight over a scrap of meat. And no one wanted to get in the way of _that_ fight.

"Too bad. I-"

"Chelsea," Jeremy said stepping forward. "You need to listen to us when we say things like this. Everything we are grudgingly going to tell you is important. it isn't a game and it isn't always fun. And if you can't obey orders when they're given to you, then you can go on thinking you're insane."

Chelsea glared at Yumi more and then face Jeremy. "Fine...go have your meeting."

Jeremy nodded. He turned to Ulrich."You stay here and breif her on a little bit of what she might be going through if she chooses to accept."

Ulrich nodded and stepped into the room. Chelsea eyed him stubbornly when Jeremy asked the brunette teen a question. "I want your answer on this before the final decision is made."

"I will have it ready when you're done," Ulrich replied.

Yumi pursed her lips and continued to leer at Chelsea until Jeremy finally waved the group out and to his room.

Chelsea did not sit and did not move from where she was staring heatedly at Ulrich. She was still flaming and angry that the people she thought were her friends knew about these strange occurances and didn't tell her but inside she was grateful that it was Ulrich that was telling her. She felt she could trust him more than the others. After all,

He stared back just as fiercely. "Sit."

"No."

"You're going to want to after everything I tell you now sit."

Chelsea and Ulrich continued to glare at each other for the next few moments before Chelsea grudgingly plopped onto her bed, crossing her arms over her chest and mumbling under her breath.

Ulrich almost let an amused smile slip out as he studied the girl before him. He couldn't help thinking she looked kind of cute.Finally he nodded and sat down on the edge of Aelita's bed and faced her, his brown eyes steady. "Okay listen. You can't interrupt me when I tell you all of this, alright?"

Silence.

"_Alright?"_

"Whatever…"

* * *

"Jeremy, I am totally against her joining," Yumi said the second they were settled in the room. Well...almost settled. Odd was leaning lazily against the wall on Jeremy's bed, Jeremy was sitting in his computer chair and Aelita was perched one the edge of Jeremy's desk. Yumi however was standing importantly in the middle of the room, eyeing her friends. 

Jeremy pressed her glasses up onto his face. "I agree. I just can't trust Chelsea right now. We don't know her."

"I still think we're missing a chance here," Odd said. "We're already short a teammate because of family business. We need her. And it just so happens that she remembers the return to the past. It's fate!"

"I agree with Odd...but for different reasons," Aelita said. "We can't keep playing Chelsea like this, Jeremy. She becoming closer to us and with her in my dorm we can't keep secrets for long. And she was bound to have followed us sooner or later. It's just her nature!"

Yumi sighed. "Look, we can't just let her in like this. Are you sure there isn't a bug on the supercomputer Jeremy?"

Jeremy nodded. "During the last trip I checked the whole time. tehre is no bug. it just doesn't make sense."

"Then what can we do?"Aelita asked.

"I don't know Einstein,"Yumi muttered. "Why don't we just let her in? It's not like we have any other choice."

"We could just make up an excuse...that there's weird psychic vibes going on that make everyone go temporarily insane," Jeremy suggested.

"Hah hah, Jeremy," Yumi muttered. "If you haven't forgotten you have Ulrich in the other room breifing Chels on everything."

"We know that..." Odd said. A smile suddenly crossed his face. "Jealous?"

Yumi glared back at him. "No."

"Then let's cast a vote," Jeremy said. "All those in favor of letting Chelsea in, raise your hands."

Aelita and Odd raised their hands abruptly.

Aelita sighed. "And all those against? Same gesture."

Yumi and Jeremy raised their hands. Yumi sighed, "Don't bother counting on my brother for a vote. Ulrich will be the deciding factor."

"Fine then."

* * *

"Your kidding." 

"Nope."

"This is just a joke."

"Nuh-uh."

"I'm insane."

"Well..."

"Ulrich!"

"Sorry...but really Chelsea. This is all real," Ulrich said, leaning back on his elbows.

"It can't be real..." Chelsea protested weakly.

"Then you're insane," Ulrich replied flatly.

"Ugh!" Chelsea grunted at Ulrich's inability to cooperate. She sighed and stared at the ceiling. An alternate universe...fighting an evil virus for the planet. Powers and towers and scanners and computers. it was all so much to take in at once and Chelsea wasn't sure she could muster it. but really she was willing to believe. At least...it was a better alternative to being insane.

She raised her head to stare at Ulrich, who was looking at her with questioning brown eyes and a raised brow. She almost chuckled at his expression. It was kind of cute. "Can you guys...show me this place? The factory?"

"It depends on what the others decide. On whether or not they even trust you enough to be in the group," Ulrich replied. he sighed. "It is a hard decision. Maybe if we had at least known you for a month or two they would've been lenient on letting you join...but we've only known you for a couple of days. And that makes it harder."

Chelsea nodded, understanding. She cocked her head at him. "And what do you feel about me joining? Be honest, Ulrich."

"Well..." Ulrich sighed and stood, plopping himself down next to her. he joined her in staring at the ceiling as he thought about it. "I really don't know. I think you're nice enough and maybe if I got to know you more I could trust you...but it's too soon to tell-even for me. But I don't think you'd tell anyone."

"I won't..." Chelsea replied. She looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. "Not more people to think I'm crazy..."

Ulrich laughed. "I know. Already too many of those."

The two sat in companionable silence a bit more when Chelsea spoke up. "So since you have to make the decision when Jer gets back. Do you mind if I'm in the group?"

Ulrich looked at her and grinned. "Nah...I like you enough to cast my vote for a yes."

Chelsea chuckledas the door opened and in walked the others. Ulrich sat up quikly and stood, he and Chelsea both blushing red from where hey had been. Yumi raised an annoyed brow and stood protectively next to Ulrich.

Odd plopped himself on Aelita's bed, having Yumi and Ulrich sit next to him. Aelita sat next to Chelsea and Jeremy leaned against the closed door.

"It seems we have reached an impasse," Jeremy said. "We can't let you wander around telling everyone about what Ulrich just told you without them thinking you're crazy or getting actually suspiscious about what goes on at the factory. And we really discourage letting you join because we do not know if we can trust our lives and this secret in your hands."

"So what is your decision then?" Chelsea asked.

"We agreed that though the circumstances are...difficult we have no choice but to take our chances and let you join the group," Jeremy said. "You have to understand that this isn't always fun and if it comes down to it, you might even get killed. You can't take chances, you can't tell anyone and you must always think of everyone else before yourself. That's why we're doing this."

Chelsea nodded and crossed her legs on the bed. "But why don't you just shut down Lyoko?"

Jeremy nodded as if expecting the question. "I see Ulrich didn't cover that part. Well, did Ulrich happen to mention that Aelita is an AI that we materialized?"

"Yes," Chelsea said.

"Well, when we materialized her two weeks before you got here we found out that she has a virus planted in her by Xana," Jeremy stated. "If we shut down Lyoko, Xana, the virtual universe and Aelita die. And we can't let that happen."

Chelsea sighed as she took this all in again. It was more than she had ever expected from moving to a new school. She had been so accustomed to meeting new people and living in new places for a few years and then moving again that she thought she had seen it all. Never in a million years would she have guessed that a group a teenagers in France were fighting for the world everyday. And now she was being offered a part in it. Maybe not willingly but she was. Chelsea knew they couldn't force her to fight on Lyoko...but then who would she be? A coward for them to look down upon. Just a random girl who was lucky enough to remember their adventures? Chelsea was better than that and she wanted it to be known. After listening to all of this she knew she just _had_ to join. She had to help.

"So what is your decision, Chelsea Cloud?" Jeremy asked. Chelsea looked around at her friends and on each face she saw something different. From Odd she saw something hopeful. From Aelita she met eagerness. From Yumi she felt resent. Lastly she looked to Ulrich who flashed her a small smill and an encouraging nod.

With that last gesture Chelse smiled and stood, outstretching a hand. "I accept."


	6. Chapter 6: First Mission: Part 1

_Just a note…no one has ever been possessed by Xana yet. Okay? And I'm sorry i made a HUGE chapter...in fact it's so big I have to split it into two chapters! That's a first, peeps. Anyways enjoy!_

Chapter 6: First Mission: Part 1

Yumi lay restlessly against the bench outside. She was facing the forest, staring out at the little field in between the park and the school where Odd and Chelsea were sparring. The second they had decided that Chelsea was in the group they went to the field to practice. Jeremy was curious on how useful Chelsea would be on Lyoko and then boys were bored. But then the bell rang so they went to classes until lunch came around and _then_ they decided to spar.

Thoughts were flowing through Yumi's head faster than the speed of light. She was still highly against Chelsea joining the group and the more Yumi thought, the more she was sure it was for more reasons than the logical ones. Chelsea and Ulrich seemed to get along more than Ulrich usually got along with girls and it bugged Yumi. Ulrich was usually her best friend, the one he was supposed to hang around. Yumi sighed. She knew Chelsea and Ulrich had a lot in common. Well, from the little Yumi knew about her. Chelsea was the sporty, reckless kind of girl. She was fit to join Ulrich and Odd in their schemes when Yumi was entirely against them. She was into running which, though Yumi did it herself, and she was in the same grade as Ulrich. Even though Chelsea seemed believably helpful Yumi still got a horrible feeling in her stomach. Was this jealousy? Had she never had to feel it before? Sissy was no competition; Ulrich disliked her with a passion. No, Yumi had felt this before. When Emily had been around.

Ulrich sat next to Yumi, watching his companion with his soft brown eyes, holding a quizzical expression on his face. He couldn't see why Yumi had so much against Chelsea. The girl was perfectly normal if he was ever asked and it's not like Yumi had anything to worry about. Chelsea was just a friend. And Ulrich was still set on the idea of going to the dance with Yumi.

Jeremy sat with Aelita on the grass off to the side of the pair, one on the laptop typing quickly, while the other was laughing and watching the battle interestedly.

Odd and Chelsea had begun their spar in the normal respects, getting into fighting position.

Odd had a goofy grin on his face, eyeing Chelsea with bright blue eyes and bouncing from one foot to the other. He was fired up and raring to go. But of course, he didn't expect much. Odd was a prideful teen but was proud of his pride, making sure to stand out above the rest. And he was pretty quick on his feet.

Chelsea, however stood calmly before him, her own green eyes holding back the same glow of fire Odd was letting burst forth. She knew that Odd underestimated her. Most people did. Chelsea was definitely no master and would probably lose this little spar, but she would give Mr. Confident over there a run for his money.

Odd, impatient with the wait lunged forward with a battle cry, throwing his fist out hard. Chelsea was ready for the head-on attack and she ducked and swerved to the right, out of the blow's direction. In mid-swing she lifted her own fist and moved it to cross Odd's back. Odd dropped swiftly to the floor and rolled away slightly, dodging Chelsea and throwing out a leg in a slice-kick to knock her off her feet. Chelsea yelped as she tried to regain balance but ended up on the floor anyway.

Odd moved to take the upper hand and he lifted and moved to drive his foot into her thigh. She bounced onto her knees, guiding Odd's foot straight down in front of her while she moved and tackled him to the ground, clinging onto his shoulders and pressing him down.

Odd merely grinned as he gazed up ant her with a lazy looked, not moving at all. Chelsea was caught off-guard buy this and blinked in confusion. The second she opened her eyes she was on the ground with Odd pinning her shoulders down.

"Hah! That was a great spar!" Odd laughed rolling off her.

Ulrich smiled and stood. "You fight pretty good, Chelsea."

"Hey, I got picked on in a couple of schools. Couldn't let myself get blown back because of some twerps," Chelsea laughed with a shrug, taking the hand he offered to help her up.

"You seem distracted though, Chelsea," Jeremy noted from the sidelines.

Chelsea wasn't paying attention. She had just noticed how cute Ulrich looked when his hair was moving slightly.

"Chelsea!" The girl blinked again and blushing furiously turned to Jeremy.

"I'm sorry," she said. "This is all so much to take in at once."

Jeremy sighed. "I understand. But you can't let personal issues get in the way anymore, clear?"

Chelsea nodded and moved to sit down on the bench. She raised a brow as Yumi stiffened and stood abruptly.

Chelsea sighed and folded her arms as Yumi whispered to Aelita and the two girls walked off. Odd and Ulrich glanced at each other before sitting down on either side of Chelsea.

"Don't worry about Yumi, she just takes some getting used to," Ulrich said.

"Yeah," Odd grinned. "She's still getting used to me!"

The three shared a laugh before Chelsea rested her head in her hands.

"I still wish she'd talk to me...after all, we are going to be saving the world together right?"

Ulrich nodded at her and stood. "I'll go talk to her for you. I'll see what's up, okay?"

Chelsea grinned at him and blushed slightly. "Thanks Ulrich. You're a good friend."

Ulrich just grinned and walked off, leaving Jeremy and Odd to look at her with raised brows.

"What?" she demanded, folding her arms.

"You know Ulrich and Yumi are almost...dating, right?" Jeremy questioned, closing his laptop and standing.

"They are?" Chelsea asked. But she wasn't surprised. It explained Yumi's reactions towards Chelsea. And the girl had already known Ulrich's affections towards Yumi. But still, the fact being said straight out was kind of blistering.

"Yeah," Odd replied. "But don't worry about it. I'm way better than Ulrich anyway!"

Chelsea laughed. "Of course you are..."

She stood. "I guess I should learn more about what goes on in the group before I start meddling then, hm?"

"That'd be a good idea," Jeremy replied.

Chelsea nodded. "Then I'm going to go stop Ulrich. I should talk to Yumi myself."

"Just...don't try and push her buttons, Chelsea. She's no pushover," Jeremy called after her as she raced off.

Odd grinned at Jeremy. "My money's on Chelsea."

"I'm still going for Yumi," Jeremy said back smartly.

"Well, then, do you take my bet?" Odd asked.

Jeremy sighed. "You know I don't really believe in betting...five bucks on Yumi."

* * *

Sissy sat in her bedroom, leaving against the windowsill. Her bottom lip was puckered and her brows were furrowed as she watched her beloved chat with Yumi and watch Chelsea. Sissy had tried so many times to get into Ulrich's group and had never succeeded. And now this girl shows up out of no where and jumps right in as if she belonged from the beginning. What did she have that Sissy didn't? Sissy was just as pretty if not more so. And she was definitely a girly girl. Though Ulrich does tend to go for the sportier girls.

With a sigh she slumped down in her chair. Who was she kidding. She shouldn't be chasing the boys. They should be chasing her. She wanted Ulrich to pine for her, if he ever did get as low as pining for a girl. She would even wish it to be a cliche teen romance. She slowly befriends Ulrich, Yumi breaks his heart and h turns to Sissy realizing his huge mistake. Sissy sighed at the thought of being scooped up into Ulrich's arms.

Her head shot up suddenly as she watched Chelsea sit down on the chair and Yumi and Aelita bound away like scared dogs. Sissy grinned. Yumi was already upset at Chelsea for obvious reasons. And it appears that though Aelita's kind to everyone, she still remains loyal to her first friend.

_A cliche would be nice_, Sissy thought. Or she could continue her merciless scheming. Messing up Yumi and Chelsea would work. And while those two are fighting, she'd be the mature one and have a nice friendly chat with Ulrich. He'd see how brilliant she is and talk to her more often until he's all hers! Sissy giggled excitedly at the thought of dear Ricky falling into her clutches.

She stood and raced out her door. If she was fast with her mind and feet she could intercept Aelita and Yumi with a good lie, dodge to Chelsea and have Ulrich with her by tomorrow night!

Sissy suddenly tripped. She hadn't seen the black smoke figure seep it's way out of the overhead lights. When she finally did she could barely utter a scream before she was overwhelmed and overtaken by the smoke.

* * *

"I assure you, Yumi has way more experience!"

"Well, you didn't fight Chelsea, Jer. That girl is fast!"

"Yumi's older, taller and stronger. Chelsea can't beat that."

"Chelsea is way faster than Yumi. You can win with speed you know."

"We don't even know if they're going to fight, Odd."

"They will. They are. As long as Ulrich's single those two will be at him like rabid bunnies!"

"Whatever-"

BEEP!

Jeremy sighed and sat down as his computer set off an annoying beeping sound. He knew what it was as he had heard it countless times before but he couldn't help opening the computer.

"Activated tower, Odd. Call up Ulrich and Chelsea. It's her first mission so we need Yumi here too."

"Aye aye, commander," Odd replied, whipping out his cell.

* * *

Aelita sighed and nodded appropriately anytime Yumi burst into a flood of complaints. Really she had nothing against Chelsea herself but still, she would rather sit with Yumi. She wasn't about to lose her first female friendship to some girl who happened to remember a few trips to the past. It wasn't worth it.

Yumi sighed and stopped at the front gate where they had jut magically wandered off to. "I'm sorry for bugging you like this Aelita. She just…ugh…"

Aelita smiled warmly. "It's all right, Yumi. Really, I'm fine."

Yumi smiled. "Let's go hang out in the dorms. We'll have some girl gang time."

"Don't you think we should invite Chelsea? After all she's part of the gang now too," Aelita said. One look from Yumi and the pink-haired A. I. Shut her mouth and followed the older girl to Aelita's dorm.

* * *

Ulrich was trudging through the halls with a bored look on his face. He was really trying to help Chelsea out but how could he when Yumi was now where to be found? He thought for sure that Aelita and her went to Aelita's room but when he knocked it was empty.

With a sigh, he moved down the hall and stopped at the top of the stairs to lean against the banister. Where would they go next.

Suddenly his trained samurai instincts awakened and began screaming at him to turn around. Swiftly he spun around and held his hands up protectively in front of hi face and jaw.

When he saw who it was he lowered his fists and rolled his eyes. "Oh it's just you. What do you want, Sissy?"

Sissy just grinned and began to walk towards him. Ulrich studied the way the girl walked and her smile and her eyes. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. He was sure of it as Sissy's hand suddenly shot forward with inhuman speed and shoved him.

Ulrich cried out as he toppled down the stairs, while Sissy just grinned at his wounded figure as it rolled and landed on the second landing. With a Sissy-like sniff she walked past Ulrich's limp body and headed casually out to the courtyard.

* * *

"Why'd we go in through the cafeteria?" Aelita questioned as she and Yumi passed through the cafeteria to the other door.

"So we don't run into Chelsea or the guys. I don't want to make plans with anyone else." Yumi said, not looking at her younger friend.

"It's going to be hard to avoid Chelsea, considering her room is my room too," Aelita pointed out.

Yumi stopped abruptly and dropped into a seat. "I give up. I just can't have a free moment without that girl being around."

"Why don't we go to your house?" Aelita suggested.

"Can't," Yumi replied flatly. "The bell is going to ring in ten minutes."

"We could hang out here," Aelita tried again.

"Fine…"

* * *

Chelsea made her way upstairs, she was certain that Yumi and Aelita had gone to her room. Where else would they go? Going to Yumi's was out of the question as the bell was going to ring any minute. So they would most likely be going there.

Chelsea stopped suddenly. So suddenly that if anyone had been walking been a good pace behind her would've been bumped. For once the girl was actually afraid. Of course she had feared before but this was a deeper fear.

There was Ulrich on the second floor landing, sprawled out in an awkward position. His arm lay over his head and his right leg was bent way back in the wrong direction. His almost hidden face was construed with pain.

Chelsea was afraid for him. But instead of curling in to a ball or letting out a teeth-grinding scream she leapt to his side and jacked out her cell phone just as it began to ring.

"Hello?" she demanded into the phone. She hoped it wasn't her parents. They wouldn't let her out of a call if it was and would come straight over in a panic if she hung up.

"Chelsea? It's Odd," said the voice. "We have a problem."

"Bigger than you know," Chelsea answered. She tucked the cell phone onto her shoulder and held it in place with her head as she moved behind Ulrich to lift him up. "I think Ulrich fell down the stairs or something. He's in really, really bad shape and he's unconscious."

"_What?" _Odd demanded. "I'll be right over!"

"No! I'll take him. You called me because of an attack, right?" Chelsea asked. She gritted her teeth as she managed to shove Ulrich onto her back. This would've been so much easier if he was conscious.

"Yeah and apparently whatever it is, it got to Ulrich first," Odd replied, less panicked than before. "Chels, Jer wants this to be your first trip. I'' coming to get Ulrich."

"And I say you go help Lyoko. Do whatever you guys usually do to get to that world thing and I'll get him to the infirmary," Chelsea replied.

"No! You need the training. And I can get Ulrich to the infirmary faster," Odd fought back.

"What if I screw up, Odd?" Chelsea demanded fiercely. "Yeah sure I can fight but I've never fought any of those lobster things or whatever in a virtual universe!"

"But-"

"Whatever it was that got Ulrich is probably out there after Yumi."

"Actually it wants Aelita but-"

"Think about it Odd. Right now we need someone experienced."

"But Jeremy said-"

"Screw it. Ulrich needs help," Chelsea said and with that She hung up, shoved it into her pocket and continued her hard trek dragging Ulrich to the infirmary.

* * *

Odd gritted his teeth. He suddenly realized what Jeremy had meant about Chelsea being hard to handle. He could only imagine the fight she put up when the birds were attacking. Being in the infirmary around that time he couldn't help.

With a sigh he dialed Jeremy and raced off to the factory. They were going to have to talk to Chelsea after this. Going against orders was not an option.

* * *

"Okay, but do you think he likes her?" Aelita was asking.

"Not more than a friend no…" Yumi muttered truthfully.

"Then you're fine," Aelita stated simply.

Suddenly her cell phone began to ring. With a shrug at her friend she picked it up and answered.

"Jeremy? Uh huh…What? Okay…we're on our way," Aelita said and hung up. She turned to Yumi. Xana's attacked and Ulrich's hurt.

"_What?" _

* * *

"Where's Aelita?" Jeremy asked when Odd stopped on his floor in the factory.

"She's coming. Yumi's escorting," Odd replied.

"And Chelsea?"

"If you mean Miss Xena, she's saving Ulrich's butt and putting him in the infirmary," Odd muttered, stepping back into the elevator.

"Didn't you-"

"Well, you were right. Getting her to listen is as hard as getting a python to play fetch," Odd said.

"Told you," Jeremy said before the doors shut.

Odd rolled his eyes and stepped out of the elevator when it landed on the scanner floor.

"Ready for the transfer?" Jeremy's voice echoed through speakers.

"Beam me up, Scotty," Odd replied.

* * *

Ulrich groaned as he began to regain consciousness. His leg was pounding hard with wrenching pain and his head and arms were throbbing. He felt himself being moved but very slowly and very roughly. Memory came back to him and all he remembered was Sissy's evil face as she shoved him and everything went black.

Finally, he opened his eyes and looked around. To the right of his face there was a mass of brown hair and the ground moving slowly.

"Chels…ea?" Ulrich said slowly. It hurt to talk.

"Huh? You're conscious!" Chelsea exclaimed. Swiftly she moved him from her back and set him against the wall. She crouched down in front of him. "A tower thing attacked and we think it got you. What happened?"

Ulrich struggled to find the words, as it probably wouldn't make sense at all. "Sissy…I think Sissy was…possessed. She…pushed me."

Ulrich watched as pure fury was shown through Chelsea's face for a split second before it went blank. "Are…you okay?"

"Huh?" She asked again. She shook her head. "I'm fine. I need to get you to the infirmary."

Ulrich shoved the hand she was reaching out to him again and managed to stand. Chelsea did not miss, however, the excruciating pain his was getting from standing on that right leg.

"I can get there, Chels. You need to find Sissy and make sure she doesn't get to Aelita," Ulrich said.

"But-"

"Look. We don't matter, Chelsea. Do you understand? This whole mission, this whole fight is to protect Aelita. She's our only hope to shut down Xana," Ulrich said, his voice strong. "We get hurt all the time. But we have to sacrifice for her. Now go. I'll be fine."

Chelsea held another steady gaze match with Ulrich as she stubbornly tried to protest. And then it hit her. That's what Odd had been trying to say. Sure something was bad this time around but it could only get worse. There was no time for another mission. This had to be it. Chelsea looked away and nodded. She turned and began to walk away.

"Be careful," Ulrich said. Chelsea stopped for a moment but then broke into a speedy run, leaving Ulrich to fend for himself.

* * *

"Oh, Yumi!" Aelita cried. The two girls had just reached the edge of the forest when Sissy had popped out of no where, holding a large branch. If Sissy had been herself she would've never been able to hold something so big.

"Back off," Yumi said, stepping in front of Aelita.

"I'm taking the girl!" Sissy said, pointing to Aelita.

"No!" Yumi leaped forward, her foot in the air. Sissy groaned as she was flung backwards into a tree. The girl recovered quickly however and swung the branch at Yumi. Yumi cried out and ducked as the branch swung heavily over her head.

Chelsea raced into the scene. "Yumi!"

Yumi gritted her teeth at the mere sound of Chelsea's voice. But she shook it off. No time for personal matters. "Take Aelita to the factory and get your butt on Lyoko!"

"Right!" Chelsea nodded towards Aelita and the two girls raced into the park forest, heading for Chelsea's first trip to Lyoko.


	7. Chapter 6: First Mission: Part 2

_Here's the second part! Remember that this is the first time anyone has been possessed._

Chapter 6: First Mission: Part 2

Ulrich limped down the hallway almost at the infirmary door. As he was in front of it, his left leg gave out and he collapsed to the floor, throwing out his arm and pulling the door handle as he fell.

Dorothy stood as it opened and walked to the entrance, gasping when she saw Ulrich, whimpering on the ground. Immediately she lifted him onto a bed and got to work.

Ulrich's mind was troubled. All he could think about was the mission and how everyone was doing. And how Chelsea would do on her first try. Going to Lyoko wasn't exactly the easiest thing in the world. The return trips were hard, especially if you got devirtualized. Mainly he was just worried. He hated not being able to help and cursed himself for not being fast enough to stop Sissy from pushing him. How had Xana managed to possess a person anyway? Does that mean he could do it to Aelita? Or Jeremy? With a groan Ulrich tried to push those thoughts from his head. If he continued to think about it he wouldn't be able to resist getting up and going to the factory.

* * *

The sight Chelsea beheld when she entered the factory was breathtaking. The supercomputer seemed to be purposely glowing more mysteriously that particular day just to show off as the girl walked in, her feet making noise across the metal ground.

"I can't believe it!" she gasped. "It's all real…"

"Believe it," Jeremy said.

Chelsea walked over to the computer and eyes the screen. Three larger red ones were chasing a green dot. Suddenly Odd's voice came from the computer!

"Jer, where's backup? I need help!" Odd called.

"Sorry not much backup. Only Chelsea. Yumi's busy taking down the possessed Sissy and Ulrich's in the infirmary," Jeremy replied typing.

"Well, tell her to get down here! I can't take these Krabbs by myself!" Odd retorted. He didn't seem in quite a prankster mood right about now.

"You heard him Chelsea," Jeremy said. "Get down there."

Chelsea nodded and nervously headed to the elevator where Aelita was standing and it closed.

"What am I getting myself into?" Chelsea suddenly cried out loud, collapsing to the ground. "I can't believe this is real. I can't believe people can die because of this!"

Aelita bent down next to her. "Chelsea, don't break down now. I need you in Lyoko."

Chelsea breathed out a strong sigh and nodded. "Okay…I just need time after this to think."

"You'll get it," Aelita assured. However she wasn't that sure herself. From what Jeremy had told her on the phone Chelsea had defied the specific orders Odd had given her. They would need to have a talk with her before she could have her own time to think. There were times when Odd himself didn't listen to the orders and even let others do it. But this was different. Xana had somehow managed to possess someone and give them incredible speed, strength and agility. Odd knew what was at stake. He knew when to listen and when he was allowed to slip.

The elevator opened and Chelsea was again standing with her mouth agape at the three scanners, one closed, obviously holding Odd. The other two were open, on either the left or right of the closed middle one.

Aelita stepped to the right, stopping with a foot in her scanner to look at Chelsea. "It's fine…it doesn't hurt."

Chelsea set her jaw and nodded. She turned to her scanner, wavering with light and letting off a humming sound. She looked behind her just in time to see the doors to Aelita's scanner close with a whoosh.

A shiver ran up her spine. She really was saving the world.

Finally she took a step into the scanner, holding onto the walls as her feet touched a bright-lit floor. She shut her eyes and put her other foot in. She spun around. The doors didn't shut yet.

"Chelsea are you ready for the transfer? I sent Aelita before you to get more time ahead," Jeremy's voice seemed to come out of no where.

Chelsea took a deep breath and kept her voice steady. "I'm ready."

"Okay," Jeremy replied. "Transfer, Chelsea."

Chelsea gasped as the doors shut. She was stuck in a pod. Now what would happen. Would there be a screen that showed her everything? How would she fight in a pod. The light began to brighten.

"Scanner, Chelsea," Jeremy's voice was weak now to her ears. As he said that a large blast of air shot up and she was no longer touching the ground! Chelsea scrambled to grab onto the walls but there was nothing to hold onto. Panic rushed into her.

"Virtualization!" Jeremy called.

"Oh!" Chelsea cried as the air whooshed up and an extremely bright light blinded her.

* * *

Yumi ducked as Sissy swung the branch again. It passed over the teen's body deadly close. The girl sprung up with awesome agility the second the branch was removed and threw a punch to Sissy's face as the possessed girl struggled to steady the branch. Yumi watched with growing eyes as her fist went straight through Sissy, the body flickering with the movement.

Amazed Yumi stumbled and scooted backwards, away from her enemy who now appeared impossible to beat.

Sissy gave a wide grin and raised the branch. Yumi gritted her teeth. She'd just have to keep Xana busy while the others can deactivate the tower.

* * *

"Whoa! Oof!" Chelsea cried as she suddenly appeared in a forest in midair. She groaned as she landed face-flat on the mossy ground and stood.

"Chelsea, are you okay?" Jeremy called.

"Huh?" Chelsea spun around, looking for the voice and looked in the trees. Nothing. "Where are you?"

"I'm still at the factory. You are in the virtual word of Lyoko. Are you alright?" Jeremy asked again.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Chelsea asked curiously.

"There was a problem with the transfer. But if you're okay…"

Chelsea nodded slowly and viewed the terrain. Everything looked like a forest, except that the paths were the only source of land. The trees seemed to spring up from no-man's land. There was a few stumps around and huge cord like things weaving in and out of the paths. To her right the cords were letting off low thumps and sending red jetstreams through it.

Chelsea looked down at her clothes and gasped. "Jeremy, what the heck is this? I _hate_ dresses!"

"It's an archer dress," Jeremy replied. "It fits flexibly so you can maneuver better on Lyoko."

"Okay but why does it only have one strap and this HUGE slit?" Chelsea demanded.

"I just picked up something from a fashion magazine. I have no idea what kind of clothes girls like," Jeremy stated, sounding very put out.

Chelsea sighed. She was wearing a one strap midnight blue dress. The designs were nice, crescent moons, and she had a long glove on her left arm, reaching slightly past her elbow. Boots to her calves were on her feet and a quiver and a strung bow were on her shoulders.

"I look like a stripper," Chelsea muttered.

"You look fine," Jeremy growled. "Now head to your right. Odd and Aelita are trapped against some trees and they need another long range person to help em out."

Chelsea nodded, "Right."

She took off at a jog. She had to admit the dress was helping her move better. But she still hated how much skin she was showing. The thought of Ulrich or Odd seeing her in something like this made her blush.

The sound of lasers reached her ears and she turned the corner onto the next path. She stopped short. There was Aelita behind a stump, wearing a pink and pastel elf-like outfit. Her ears were strangely pointed as well, helping the elf assumption along.

But what really hit her was Odd, standing on the stump clothed in a purple and yellow jumpsuit like thing. A long tail was flicking behind him and instead of hands, he had huge purple claws with lasers blasting out of them.

"Odd!" Chelsea called and she started towards them.

Aelita twisted around and brightened when she saw Chelsea. But her smile twisted into a frown when. "Chelsea! Behind you!"

Chelsea skidded to a stop and spun around. "Whoa!"

Standing was the largest creature she had ever seen besides an elephant at the zoo. It had for long legs with sharp tips and a round body. It glowered down at her with three eye-like lights and had a strange symbol on its back.

Odd turned as he figured he'd blasted away the last enemy and saw Chelsea cowering under a Krabe's ferocity.

"Shoot it with your ice arrows!" Odd called, spinning all the way, only to be shot in the elbow. He sighed and began to take down the firing Kankrelat.

Chelsea suddenly heard Odd's voice and went into action. She reached being her and pulled out an arrow, swiftly knocking it on her strung bow and fired. It slammed into the middle eye of the Krabe, momentarily making the creature falter.

With that Chelsea spun around and raced towards Odd, grabbing Aelita and dragging her along the way. The sudden feeling she got when she struck the Krabe was amazing. It was like her own passion for running but this. This was so thrilling.

"That's the tower!" Odd said, pointing ahead when they reached his side. Chelsea looked and grinned when she saw a huge tower with vines and roots creeping along the side. She had finally managed to take it in. The excitement, the thrill the danger-and she wanted more.

A black nicked Chelsea in the side from behind. She cringed and grasped her hip.

"Here's some advice," Odd said, offering her a hand up, dodging another laser in the mean time. "Don't get hit."

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the tip, Obi-wan."

"You guys, take care of the Krabe and get Aelita to the tower! I don't know how much Yumi can take," Jeremy said.

"Yes, sir," Chelsea called. Her feet twitched as she viewed the Krabe coming their way and another one right behind it.

"Aelita, wait for our signal," Odd said as Aelita took cover on the opposite side of the stump.

"Ready and-Wait!"

Odd called after Chelsea as the girl knocked an ice bow and sprinted towards the first Krabe. It fired at her but a new instinct kicked in and Chelsea sidestepped and rolled to dodge the blasts.

She stopped a few paces in front of it and fired again one of its bright little eyes. It slammed into it and iced over.

Chelsea laughed gave a wild laugh of joy and ran through its legs. "Over here, lobster!"

Suddenly a strange noise caught her by surprise and she stopped short. It was coming from above her! She looked up in shock to see the bottom of the Krabe open, a white charge prepping to blast down.

As it fired, Chelsea felt herself shoved away, the savior still on top of her as she recovered. "Odd!"

"Now you know where they can hit you. Avoid that," Odd said with a little grin. He stood and flipped around. "Laser Arrow!"

Chelsea watched as a glowing arrowhead zoomed out of Odd's cocked fist and slammed easily into the back of a Krabe where the strange sign was. The enemy burst into pieces that faded away instantly.

Another wild grin formed on her lips. "Now I think I know what to do."

* * *

"Come on, Xana! Let's see if you can run as fast as you lose!" Yumi hollered.

She dove away ad took off back towards the school. Anything to keep this possession away from the factory. Yumi glanced behind her to see that Xana/Sissy had tossed away the branch and was quickly gaining on her.

Yumi raced into the courtyard and ducked behind a tree, just as Sissy's foot came crashing down.

Yumi groaned with frustration as the tree split in half part ways, ruining her hideout. She'd have to try a different tactic.

She dodged to the bench as Milly and Tamiya raced away screaming. She leaped onto it and backflipped off just as Sissy charged. Yumi landed behind the possessed girl and sliced her foot under her feet, watching with dismay as her foot passed easily through the flickering body.

* * *

Ulrich was gripping the edge of the bed with frustration. All he could do was sit here while his friends fought for their lives. His leg was constantly sending jets of pain up his body. Sweat dripped down his forehead and yet he still thought of his team.

Dorothy came in and rested a wet cloth on his head. She looked anxious. Just as she sat down to take his temperature Milly and Tamiya burst into the room looking panicked and crazed.

"Nurse Dorothy! Nurse Dorothy! Yumi Ishiyama is being attacked! By Sissy! Sissy just cut a tree in a half! What are we going to do?"

Ulrich sprang to life at the news the young girls brought him. It sounded like Yumi was in trouble! And that was all the motivation Ulrich needed.

"I don't believe such a silly story, young lady!" Dorothy exclaimed, standing abruptly at their behavior. But the girls persisted.

"Fine, fine. Ulrich stay here. Your leg is too injured to be wandering around campus," Dorothy said and Milly and Tamiya dragged her out.

Ulrich sprang to life and leaped out the bed, immediately regretting it as he collapsed under his pained knee and cringed into a ball of pain. He breathed heavily until the bone eased to a steady throb when he finally struggled to his feet. He looked around and finally saw what he desired. Crutches.

* * *

"Whoa!" Yumi cried as Sissy spun around and lifted her by the throat. Yumi gasped and kicked but her attempts were in vain for everything she threw at her captor, it just went through, blurring Sissy's body just slightly.

Yumi yanked and pried at Sissy's arm and hand, the only things solid. But it appeared that under Xana's rule, the girl was invincible.

Her lungs were running out and as she sweated from the heat and lack of air, Yumi knew she needed to do something. Suddenly an idea formed and she there her leg up and around, doing the same with the other so if she hadn't had a hand around her neck, it'd look like her lower half was straddling Sissy's arm. With that Yumi could brace herself and she tugged and bushed off, trying to rip herself away from Sissy. But it seemed the harder Yumi tried to free herself, the harder Sissy dug her nails and fingers into Yumi's neck.

Yumi cried. She tried screaming. She tried to howl. She even tried to talk. But her throat was closed off so much and she had absolutely no more energy left that in the end, she couldn't move.

Her vision went hazy and the last thing she saw was Sissy's horrid face with those possessed eyes smiling at her.

Suddenly she could breath. She coughed and sucked in the blessed air, holding her head as her vision returned to her. She felt the ground beneath her hands and slowly looked up. Instead of Sissy standing there, it was Ulrich. He was holding one crutch and standing as straight as he possibly could over Sissy's limp figure, a second crutch on her face.

He offered her a light smile and bent slowly down beside her. "I thought you could use some help."

* * *

Chelsea couldn't stop smiling as she leapt to her feet and dodged around, attracting the attention of the final Krabe. Odd was swiftly rushing Aelita to the tower while Chelsea kept the Krabe busy.

"Over here, you oversized crab-cake!" Chelsea shouted, racing away from the direction of the tower. The Krabe apparently infuriated by the insult charged after her, blasting away.

Chelsea gasped and stumbled as a laser hit her in the leg. She somersaulted and leapt to her feet instead of flinching, spun around and aimed.

Suddenly everything seemed to stop. The Krabe just seemed to look at her with its laser eyes. Nothing moved. Chelsea held her aim and the Krabe held it's own.

A wrenching pain tore through her head at that moment. She collapsed to her knees, clutching her head. When she got up she was no longer in control. She could feel her body moving and her eyes searching but she could not control it. Suddenly she was riding the Krabe. Her bow was knocked but it wasn't aiming at the Krabe beneath her. It was at Odd yards ahead.

Why was she aiming at Odd. Chelsea tried to fight. She tried to control herself. But she couldn't. Her aim was perfect and she fired.

She heard Odd yelp in pain. She saw him turn to yell but stopped and looked with fear as she advanced on him.

Chelsea wondered how it might've been if she was the one looking at herself. She must look menacing riding a Krabe and attacking her friends.

Jeremy's voice came too but Chelsea was forced to ignore it. Aelita turned and screamed as she looked at Chelsea. Chelsea fought and fought. And then she won just as her arrow slipped and fired. The aim was true and just as Aelita entered the tower she was hit in the back.

Everything sped up again and time was normal. Chelsea fell from the Krabe and struggled weakly to get up, as if she was a newborn. The Krabe turned on her and aimed.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd yelled leaping out and blasting the monster to smithereens. He looked at Chelsea and she looked back at him. He was furious.

Chelsea groaned and grasped her head as she tried to explain. "Odd…I…" And the last thing she saw was his disapproving face glaring down at her.

* * *

"Huh?" Chelsea groaned and grabbed her head. She opened her eyes and sat up.

She was in her room now and surrounding her were her friends, all looking grim and upset.

"You're awake," Jeremy said, his voice monotone.

"What…happened?" Chelsea asked groggily. She looked to Ulrich and Yumi, both of whom were in the same condition they were this morning. No injuries.

Odd sat up from where he had slumped against Aelita's bed. "Basically, you freaked out and attacked me and Aelita. The Krabe was your Silverado."

"But-"

"Chelsea…" Jeremy sighed. He stood and knelt next to her bed. "This isn't a game. How many times must I tell you?"

"But I didn't do it, Jeremy! I couldn't control myself!" Chelsea insisted.

"We know. Ulrich told us about your anger problems," Jeremy said, stepping back.

"What?" Chelsea looked to Ulrich incredulously. He looked away guiltily and then his face closed up and he looked back at her with a hardened expression.

"We can no longer trust you. If you tell anyone we'll be forced to erase any memories you have of this place and start you from anew," Jeremy said.

Chelsea shot out of bed. "You can't do this, Jeremy!"

Jeremy looked away. He looked pained. It hurt him to do this. Never had he been so harsh. But then, when had someone ever turned on a friend. After Chelsea had sparred and then went after Ulrich, Jeremy had started to hope that maybe his decision was right. That this girl was trustworthy. But shooting Aelita was out of the line.

He stood and the others walked out.

Chelsea raced to the door and called after him. "You said there was a bug! When I first got there you said-"

"I looked," Jeremy replied. "It was because your costume was supposed to be red, not blue. Who would've thought?"

And they were gone.

Chelsea stared after the empty hallway. Anger and sadness were being pitched into her so fast it was all she could do to prevent herself from tearing her room apart. Swiftly, she changed into shorts and a T-shirt and pulled on her running shoes.

Within a minute she was on the track, running, crying, yelling, cursing and venting. She had destroyed her friendship again and there was nothing she could do about it.


	8. Chapter 7: Low

_Okay! After this short little filler there will be about two to three huge chapters dealing with the main part of the story and then it's end. I'm proud of how smooth this is going! Anyways, read and review!_

Chapter 7: Low

If someone were sending out applications for being low all day, the Lyoko gang would surely get the job. All five of them had gone to Ulrich and Odd's room after talking with Chelsea and they stayed there and moped. Of course they'd have to explain why all of them had missed classes but for now they moped. Well, Jeremy and Yumi seemed actually a bit brighter but otherwise, they were pretty low.

"Do we really have to kick her out permanently, Jeremy?" Aelita questioned softly, from her spot next to Odd on the bed. She had her arms wrapped around her knees and was miserably blowing wisps of her pink air out of her face.

Jeremy sighed. He had been busy working on Aelita's anti virus. He hadn't worked on it since Chelsea's first time remembering the return to the past. He was also working on a new lead, which would make for a trip to Sector 5 and bringing him out of it was a little disturbing. Though, it was Aelita so he made an exception.

"Of course not," Jeremy replied.

"What? Why? She hit Aelita and Odd on Lyoko," Yumi countered. "How can you say that?"

"As much as we hate to believe it Yumi we do need the help. I'm planning some trips to Sector 5 in the next few days and I don't know how dangerous it might be," Jeremy said.

"Sector 5?" Ulrich almost brightened. He was excited about a new mission and he'd take anything he could get to forget Chelsea's temporary problem. "So, you're actually going to let us check it out, now?"

Jeremy nodded. "I have a lead for Aelita's antivirus and maybe another one on how Chelsea's remembering the return-to-the-past trips."

"Well, what is it?" Odd asked. "I want to know so we can start kicking some Xana butt!"

"Okay," Jeremy nodded. "My idea for the antivirus needs some more information that Xana is holding in the new sector. There's a computer thing in the back that will give Aelita a linkup to Xana's entire system."

"Are you saying that all we have to do is go to that Sector and we have every piece of information on Xana that we need?" Ulrich questioned.

"Yep…but it's not that easy," Jeremy said.

"It never is," Yumi muttered.

"You have to go through an entire sector without letting Aelita get hit. And remember Xana has new monsters, some we probably haven't seen before. Plus the countdown in the beginning," Jeremy said, listing off the number of obstacles.

"Okay, so it's mission impossible," Odd said. He grinned. "Let's go."

"Wait," Yumi said. "What about the lead on Chelsea?"

Jeremy sighed and pushed his glasses up farther on the bridge of his nose. "I don't know how to explain this but you know we have the computer database where we can add a character's genetic code in and they can remember the return to the past?"

The group nodded.

"Well, Xana might have a database just like mine," Jeremy said.

Ulrich's eyebrows furrowed together. "And that would mean what? Xana can enter a human into his database so they remember the return to the past?"

"Exactly," Jeremy said, looking a bit excited. "What I think is, Xana entered Chelsea into his database and now she's remembering!"

The gang was silent for a moment as they all thought about this new information. Aelita looked up. "Jeremy, how can we get to Xana's database to help Chelsea stop remembering. Then we can use a return trip to when she came and she won't remember any of this."

Jeremy nodded. "Which is more of a reason we need to get to Sector 5."

Chelsea sank to the ground after three hours of straight running around the track. Her muscles shook in pain and sweat dripped from all pores. Her eyes were the wettest source of water though. Miserably she had run. Jim, the Gym teacher, had called and tried to stop her but she explained to him of her "illness" and he let her run, telling the principal.

Chelsea sat and mourned. She had begun to believe Jeremy was right. That her problem was uncontrollable.

Before, in Africa, the people had accepted her. There were many illnesses in Africa so naturally the people couldn't discriminate her. Africa was like the beacon that had protected her.

Before Africa she had lived in the United States, California actually. Her parents had been taking beach pictures of the waves, sunsets, sunrises and people. There hadn't been so good. The children were rude to her when they found out about her anger problems which got her even more angry. It even got to the point where she struck a girl her age multiple times. Being so young and having the disorder, she was excused from juvenile hall but was expelled immediately and her parents were forced to work elsewhere.

In Africa was when Chelsea had discovered running. It, like Africa itself helped her out of her slump and she became more confident in everything and more controlling over her anger. And anytime it sparked she ran.

Now here she was again, and it was like the States all over again. Only this time it was worse. She could've killed Aelita. That was more unforgivable than hitting.

She sighed and rested back on her elbows. She shut her eyes and for a moment, forgot about her crime-fighting friends.

"Hey there," a voice called. She flinched. The last thing she wanted to do right now was talk to someone. She sighed and grudgingly opened her eyes to stare up at a boy with messy black hair, jeans and boots.

She nodded her head at him and leaned back again, giving him a crystal clear signal that she wanted nothing to do with him. He persisted. "I'm William Dunbar. Are you new?"

"I've been here a good three days," Chelsea replied flatly.

"Oh. Well I haven't noticed you," William said.

He stepped into the sunlight and Chelsea looked up, glaring at him. "You're in my sun."

"Well, you're on the field. Do you want to play soccer with me and my friends?" William asked.

Chelsea frowned. "Not really."

William didn't seem at all offended. "Okay, then. Just watch out for the ball."

"Don't kick it my way and we won't have a problem," Chelsea growled as the boy turned easily and raced to the middle of the field.

She frowned deeper as they began to play and decided that they'd probably be smart enough to leave her alone. She leaned back again and closed her eyes. Her mind wandered to Ulrich. How furious she was at him for telling them! She would've told them if it had really meant that she was uncontrollable but she didn't. He should've at least asked her.

Chelsea felt more betrayed by him than anyone else. She had trusted him. He had welcomed her in. She had even begun to like him. But now that possibility was crushed. He probably hated her and Yumi was taking in all her glory. Chelsea could bet they'd be going out within a week of today. But still…it would've been nice…it would've been-

"Oof-Ow!" Chelsea howled being hurled forward onto her knees, as a ball slammed hard into her back.

She stood abruptly and twirled around, looking wildly for the culprit. And she saw instead William, staring calmly at her with a challenging look on his face.

_This guy's got some nerve…_ Chelsea thought. With her novice abilities at soccer, Chelsea dribbled the ball into the game. She would play and beat this idiot even if she didn't know the first thing about soccer.

"…Virtualization!" Yumi, the last to be virtualized dropped down onto her feet and viewed the terrain. The group was starting this time in the mountain region and then they'd make their way to the end of it to get to Sector 5.

Ulrich twirled his blade around, relaxed for once since Chelsea had got here. "Alright, which way do we go?"

"Turn northeast to that path and head down a ways until the end of the sector. You should have a pretty clear road," Jeremy said. "I don't think Xana is expecting us."

"Well, we'll be on the look out anyway," Yumi replied.

Jeremy smiled at the screen. "I'll count on it."

Jeremy was right. The way to the end of the sector was uneventful. It almost seemed peaceful. The whole way there everyone's hearts lightened a bit as Odd cracked jokes sent them into fits of laughter. It was rare but even Jeremy said they should take it easy so they walked the rest of the way without problem. They should be feeling suspicious and they know it but they were too happy to mind and were still alert as well.

Yumi strode next to Ulrich as they reached the end of the sector. "So…things are finally back to normal now aren't they?"

Ulrich chuckled slightly. "What _is _normal, Yumi?"

"I don't know, really," she replied. She smiled. "Being on Lyoko, having fun like we did in the beginning…no weird girls trying to ruin it."

Ulrich stiffened for a moment. It wasn't that he had anything for Chelsea…he had just come to like her. Enough to stick up for her at least. After all, he felt almost like he had to after he spilled her secret.

"It wasn't her fault…really, Yumi," Ulrich said slowly.

Yumi nodded in a dismissive manner. "But still. She was so stubborn. It would've been a pain to have her permanently on the team. And she was certainly no help at all on Lyoko or earth-"

"I thought you said she got Aelita to the factory…and knocked out a Krabe," Ulrich said, still keeping his voice light and calm. He'd rather not get Yumi mad at him. His insides were still fluttering at the idea that they might actually start going steady! It was a dream come true. And he figured he would find a way to stick up for a friend in need and get his girl without trouble.

"Yes," Yumi mused. "But she didn't help when she rode the darn thing and shot Odd and Aelita. Totally unhelpful. And when she refused to let Odd take you to the infirmary…are you okay?"

Ulrich looked up at her fast and then down at his hand. It was clenching the pommel of his reverse blade tight enough to make the fingers go red. He quickly loosened his hand up and stretched it out.

"Fine…I'm fine…" Ulrich said.

Yumi nodded and then leaned and whispered in his ear. "It's okay…she makes me mad too."

In the forest sector unannounced to Jeremy as he began to type in the code to take his team to sector five, the glow of an activated tower appeared.

"That was actually…kind of fun," Chelsea said, a half and hour later, looking up at William.

He grinned down at her. "You know with some practice and some more knowledge of the rules, you could actually become a decent soccer player."

She smiled and sighed, letting herself drop to the grass. Soccer was an exhilarating sport. No thrill close to the kind she got when in a track race or from the first time she went to Lyoko but a thrill nonetheless. She suddenly felt grateful for William. He had persisted on befriending her even to the point where he made her mad until she joined them. It really was nice.

His other friends were kind to her as well but not as open as he was. He openly expressed his feelings and inside, that's how Chelsea wanted to be herself. To feel confident enough just not to care. Really the chance of her ever feeling confident enough to say her inner feelings was about as close to happening as was the chance of Pluto becoming inhabited by little Chihuahuas.

Mostly she felt grateful to him because she needed him. After being harshly dumped by the others she needed someone she could cling to…and though she hated to admit it, only until she could win the other's trust again. She wanted to thrill of Lyoko again, even though she couldn't explain what had happened there. She wanted to hang out with Odd and the others again because they made her feel welcome. She even wanted to rejoin the battle with Yumi for Ulrich's heart, as she couldn't escape that thrill either.

But until that time comes, she was with William.

As she thought these thoughts over she didn't notice the lamps in the school flicker. She didn't notice the strange black cloud as it began to float towards an unsuspecting William. She did notice William cry out in struggle. And she did notice his fist in her face.


	9. Chapter 8: Out of Control

_Just before you read this and give me the old "No one can feel anything in Lyoko" speech I'd like to prove you wrong. In the Cold War, when Odd was virtualized he shivered and said oh no more cold. I believe on another episode in the same sector her had to swim in the icy water and said something about that being cold too. Besides, if any of them couldn't feel anything on Lyoko why would they cry out anytime they got hit? It makes no sense. So bare with me here. I believe that they CAN feel on Lyoko. The pain is just lessened when they're there. With that I expect no complaints about farther chapters, okay? Read and review!_

Chapter 8: Out of Control

Chelsea cried out as she was thrown backwards onto the ground. She backed away scooted backwards, away from William, grasping her bleeding nose.

William stepped towards her swiftly, wasting not to grab her arm and forcefully begin to drag her.

"William, stop! Stop! Get off me!" Chelsea screamed, digging her nails into his hand as she tried to pry herself free. She couldn't get up and was being dragged along like a rag doll.

Sissy walked out of the cafeteria just that moment. Her eyes widened at the sight and she raced towards William, stopping in front of him.

"Hey, Dunbar! What's the big idea? Can't you see you're hurting her?" Sissy demanded, pointing fiercely at Chelsea.

William just grinned. Chelsea suddenly got a strange feeling. She looked up at William and watched as his eyes flickered and flashed. Xana.

"Sissy! Leave! He'll hurt you too! You got to move!" Chelsea said urgently, struggling to her feet. Her wrist was throbbing in William's iron grasp.

Everything she said went through one ear and out the other. Sissy cocked her hip and wagged a finger. "Drop her now, William and I won't tell my daddy about this little inci-Ah!"

Sissy screamed louder than Chelsea ever thought possible as she was tossed easily aside and went skidding to a stop on the pavement nearby. With that done William yanked Chelsea up on her feet and tore ahead at a run, forcing Chelsea to run or stumble behind him.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Okay, here we go!" Jeremy said to his friends as their transporter brought them to the circular room in Sector 5.

"Ugh…" Odd muttered, rubbing his stomach. "I shouldn't have eaten breakfast this morning."

"You didn't eat any," Yumi said, waving an arm. "We skipped, remember?"

"Yeah…then I should've eaten breakfast. It's the only way I could feel this bad," Odd said.

"Well, you'll lose the feeling when we're kicking some creeper butt," Ulrich said.

"You know, something feels wrong…" Aelita said, having been quiet most of the trip. Something was definitely wrong. She could feel it in her Lyoko senses.

"What is it, Aelita?" Jeremy asked, suddenly worried.

"I don't know…I just feel like something is going wrong," Aelita replied.

"Want me to run a quick scan?" Jeremy asked.

"No can do, Einstein," Ulrich said. "We need you to be our bird's eye in Sector 5."

"Alright…" Jeremy replied.

The transporter stopped and the door opened. After the large blocks moved out of the way the gang raced into the sector.

"The countdown has begun," Jeremy said, following them on the holomap.

"Let's go," Ulrich said.

The doors opened up to a large room. On the ground there were curious circular plates and on the other side there was the trigger, ground level and all.

"Okay…this is new," Yumi said, viewing the terrain.

"Well, we won't know the trap unless we go out there," Ulrich said. He leapt forward toward the trigger when all of the sudden a plate on the ground uncovered and out shot a large spike. Ulrich didn't even get to cry out as he was devirtualized.

"Oh no! Ulrich!" Yumi cried.

"He's fine," Jeremy said. "I got the Sector 5 devirtualization program down last night and uploaded it before we came. He just might be bruised, that's all."

Sure enough the scanners opened and Ulrich stumbled out, grasping his head. He called up to Jeremy, "Never let me do that again. That's going to haunt me forever…"

"Just don't go running into traps anymore and you should be fine," Jeremy said back.

Back on Lyoko Yumi took a step. Aelita yanked her back just in time. A spike shot up heavily in front of her.

"How did you do that?" Yumi asked.

"I can sense when they come up. It's just another Lyoko sense, I guess," Aelita replied.

"Okay then. You lead the way," Yumi said with a smile.

"Right," Aelita said. She stared hard at the ground.

"Any day now?" Odd asked.

"Don't pester her," Yumi said.

Odd sighed and sat down impatiently. He looked at the rising and falling spikes before him boredly before he suddenly noticed something. The walls. The walls had no plates.

He sprung to his feet. "I'll see you ladies. I'm taking the express."

And with that he leapt onto the left wall and began to climb, just as a creeper came out from behind Aelita and Yumi.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Ugh! Let me go, Xana!" Chelsea yelled. William stopped at the sewer entrance. Chelsea remembered it as the way they took to get to the factory. He was going to the factory. Why?

Chelsea began climbing down. William had let her go so she could but he was watching her from the top so she couldn't go back up. Chelsea began her descent slowly trying to think of a plan. Her brain began to work and she figured one out.

She glanced up as William watched her. She was halfway down now. Then he began his descent.

"Hah!" Chelsea yelled and she leaped out the ladder and onto the ground, taking off at a hard sprint. It was then that she was grateful for her acute memory and speed at running. She pulled out her cell phone and pressed in Ulrich's number.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ulrich sighed as he watched the screen behind Jeremy's chair. He had figured his trip to Lyoko would make him forget the problems he was having now and it did. He just hadn't expected to be devirtualized so quickly.

Ulrich cursed himself for being so careless. He usually wasn't like that. But he knew that the more stressed he got the more reckless he became. It was just the way he was. He didn't think when his problems got to him. Usually there was time for thinking when he sat in his favorite tree in the park or just lay in his room. Not when he was fighting Xana.

An annoying sound reached his and Jeremy's ears and Ulrich tried to ignore it. When he finally realized it was his phone he started in surprise and yanked it out. Looking at the caller ID a name flashed he hadn't expected to see. Chelsea.

"Hello?" Ulrich asked, pressing the button.

"Ulrich! I need help," Chelsea said. Ulrich raised his brows at her panicked voice and labored breath. What was going on?

"Are you all right?" Ulrich asked. Once again he was surprised but not at the stress in her voice but the worry in his.

"No! I think William is possessed by Lyoko!" Chelsea said. "I was playing soccer with him at the field and he was just fine when got up and punched me and started dragging me to the factory!"

"Another possession?" Ulrich asked in surprise.

Jeremy looked at Ulrich's clenched fist in wonder. "What's going on?"

Ulrich held up a finger and continued to talk to Chelsea. "Try and hide. Don't bring him here though. I'll come help you out."

And with that he hung up. He looked fast at Jeremy. "Check for an activated tower. Aelita was right. Something is wrong. William's been possessed by Xana and is chasing Chelsea."

Jeremy leapt into action and relayed this new info to his comrades on Lyoko as Ulrich left to the elevator.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Chelsea hung her phone up and turned a corner opposite the way of the factory. She was ahead of William but for how long? She skidded to a stop to catch her breath and grasp her knees.

When she looked behind her after a few moments, no one came. Had she really lost him? Was it possible?

She stood and turned around.

"Going somewhere?"

Her phone crashed onto the ground and into the sewers.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Hah!" Yumi cried, giving a talented flick of her wrist to send her metal fan flying. It slammed into one of the opposing creepers and sent it into explosions. Three others continued to pursue her and Aelita halfway across though.

"Jeremy," Odd began sniping the creepers that had tracked the girls to the middle of the spike floor. "How much time do we have left?"

"Only a minute! Hurry up!" Jeremy pleaded.

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Odd turned and raced across the wall. The creepers seemed to realize what he was doing so they forced their laser attention on him, blasting away at his back.

Yumi stopped and watched as Odd struggled out of the creepers' range. She yanked out her fans and twisted around in an expert throw. The fans hit two creepers giving Odd enough leeway to bound across the room and press the button

In a second the spikes dropped and sunk into the ground, the tiny platforms covering their dangerous holes again. With that, the door opposite them opened and they raced through it into another large room.

"Good work," Jeremy said. "We need to get the information at the end of the Sector fast though. Chelsea's being pursued by William. Another possession and judging by Ulrich's outcome with a possessed Sissy this does not look good."

Odd and Yumi nodded as they stopped in the middle of the room. At the end the large sliding door opened and let in five creepers with a large squid-like creature following, making raspy growls and waving its tentacles.

"Jeremy, what is _that?"_ Odd demanded bounded off to rest behind Aelita and guard her from the coming creepers.

Yumi looked up to be face to face with a large squid-like creature. She gasped as its tentacles spread and bounced.

Jeremy answered. "I think it's the Scyphozoa. It's another one of Xana's monsters but…I have no idea what it does!"

"Well, let's not wait and find out!" Odd said. He aimed to fire at it but was caught in a barrage of fire by the creepers.

Yumi moved forward. "Aelita! Hide behind the wall!"

Aelita nodded her green eyes tight with worry and she raced to the wall and ducked down beneath it.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Ulrich raced up the stairway and climbed up the ropes out of the factory. As he tore swiftly across the bridge a noise behind him made him stop suddenly the second he was across. He spun around and set his jaw as he saw the sewer main being open. William tossed a struggling Chelsea up onto the top, still holding onto her legs as she growled and tried to break free.

"Let me go, you hear? No one cares about your stupid plot to take over the world! You're just a useless hunk of-of-DATA! That's why your biggest threat is a bunch of 14 year olds at a bloody boarding school!"

Ulrich had trouble suppressing laughter at that point. He and his friends had always insulted Xana but somehow, the fact that Xana's only problem WAS a bunch of teenagers seemed to cut deep.

Xana thought so too. Chelsea shrieked as William got of and by her legs dangled her over the bridge.

"Silence, now, you pathetic worm or I will kill you right now!" Xana yelled.

Ulrich increased his speed back onto the bridge at that threat and still Chelsea kept talking.

"Then why don't you? If I'm so pathetic what's holding you back?" Chelsea hollered from her upside-down position. Her face had now turned bright red and she still tried kicking and clawing her way out, even though she'd end up in the sewer main.

"Chelsea, shut up! He will drop you!" Ulrich finally yelled stepping a few yards away and stopping. It was too dangerous to get any closer.

Chelsea immediately silence herself and instead tried grabbing on to William's arm for dear life, a sheepish grin on her face.

William turned and looked at Ulrich. Ulrich saw knowingly the same flashing look in his eyes that had been there when Sissy had pushed him down the stairs. He still cringed at the memory.

William smiled at him. "You."

"Me," Ulrich said flatly.

Xana pulled a struggling Chelsea back onto the bridge and dropped her.

She leapt to her feet and raced towards Ulrich's side. She stopped and glared at him. Before Ulrich realized it his left cheek was burning with pain and she was turning back around to face Xana.

He touched his cheek lightly and looked up at her in confusion. She glared more. "That's for telling them."

Ulrich sighed, suddenly recalling his big mistake. No time to think about it now. Maybe at least now she could forgive him since he got his share of the pain.

"What do you want this time, Xana?" Ulrich demanded. He had a haunch Xana was just trying to distract them to coax Aelita out of the fifth sector but somehow he knew it went deeper.

"To kill, of course," Xana snarled back, taking a step toward the two brunettes.

"Chels," Ulrich whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "Go help the others in the Lyoko."

Chelsea looked at him quickly and he was taken aback by her startled green eyes. "Are you mad?"

Ulrich twitched his head as William took another daring step towards them. "No. I know you can help. Go, please?"

She looked down. "They wouldn't want me."

"Yes they would. Go. I'll distract him."

She was silent for a moment and as Ulrich studied her more, William's pace quickened. She finally looked up at him a loyal look in her eyes. "I'm only doing this for you."

That line surprised Ulrich. Only for him? What did that mean? Did she…like him, maybe? Ulrich pushed the new excited feeling out of his stomach. As she took off running he suddenly noticed she looked really pretty.

When William moved fast towards her Ulrich jumped back to reality, cursing himself. How could he let one stupid line get to him like that? He liked Yumi and that was final. With that he was on Xana's tail and he leaped, tackling the possessed teenager to the ground, giving Chelsea perfect leeway to escape.

And beneath Ulrich's weight, William smiled.

AAAAAAAAAA

Yumi and Odd were now on either half of the room as more creepers flooded in. They had never been so barraged with monsters before and it was beginning to frighten them.

The Scyphozoa appeared to not really be doing anything at all and though they glanced at it every now and then to make sure it didn't pull anything, they mainly kept their attention on killing the onslaught of creepers.

Odd, though was a bit afraid and tiring was having the time of his life. Lyoko was his passion and helped keep him in shape. Spending what felt like every waking hour he had inside of it was just too much fun.

At the moment, he faced three creepers at once. Grinning he raced forward and front-flipped, pushing off the ground hard. He soared easily through the air and landed on the middle creeper's head. To his delight the other two followed his movements and ended up slaughtering their middle comrade as Odd bounced off it and landed on the wall.

The creepers seemed infuriated at Odd's devious trick and they began firing at once. Odd raced across the wall and climbed onto an overhang wall. Flailing himself onto is stomach he rolled across the block to dodge lasers, stopping at the edge to snipe the left creeper to pieces.

That particular creeper was replaced by another one and those two continued to fire, forcing Odd off the block to continue pouncing along the wall.

Yumi was having a rougher time. She stood in the middle of four creepers a number she'd usually never have to fight off alone but right now she had no choice.

She dropped to her stomach as the creepers began to fire and smiled with glee as two exploded, meaning to hit her but hitting the others when she dodged.

Like the creepers Odd fought the remaining two seemed to get angry. They blasted immediately at her as she leapt to her feet and broke into a cartwheel, flipping easily out of their little circle. She twirled around in air and landed, facing them with a leg stretched out.

Not wasting anytime, she balanced herself easily and flipped out her fans, spinning fast around and flicking her wrists to launch. The fans seemed to confuse her enemies as they zoomed out in a wide range, not going anywhere near the monsters. They ignored the zooming weapons and turned away to continue firing upon Yumi. Yumi grinned as just in time the fans spun around and sliced back to her hands, exploding the opposing creepers on the way.

Just as a shriek broke out.

Yumi and Odd spun around in time to see Aelita being lifted up by the Scyphozoa. Its tentacles had wrapped around her waist and arms while two seemed to be plugged into her head, draining something.

"Jeremy! What's it doing to her!" Yumi cried, holding her fans ready.

"Ugh, I don't know!" Jeremy said trying furiously, trying to search for any data he might've had on this new creature.

As suddenly as he had begun a screen appeared showing Aelita's head and a bunch of numbers. Jeremy gasped. "Kill it! It's stealing Aelita's memory!"

"Right, Einstein!" Odd called and he charged forward, skidding to a stop to fire at the head of the creature. It only began to move backwards, holding Aelita still.

"Yumi, get in there!" Jeremy called, panicked as the number of Aelita's memory began dropping fiercely.

"Right," Yumi mumbled as she twirled fast again and released her fans. This time she aimed for the tentacles instead of the head. Quick as a wink, the tentacles were sliced into pieces by Yumi's metal fans. The geisha warrior raced towards Aelita as Odd forced the Scyphozoa back.

"Are you alright, Aelita?" Yumi asked, bending at the elf's side.

Aelita sat up, grasping her head. "Yes…I just feel weird that's all."

"Guys, head for the end of the sector" Jeremy said. "We need to get that tower deactivated before Ulrich gets killed again. I'll upload the vehicles for you at the end. This trip will have to be rescheduled."

Aelita nodded though she could sense the disappointment in Jeremy's voice. She, just as much as he, wanted to be rid of that lousy virus. And with that she, Odd and Yumi took off down the hall, preparing to go to the end of the sector and to the forest sector.

AAAAAAAAAA

Chelsea charged down the road and swung down on the ropes. As she flew a scream of delight escaped her lips and she toppled to the ground, rolling by the elevator, laughing. If it hadn't been for Ulrich and her other friends Chelsea wouldn't have moved.

She leapt into the elevator and lucky for her she still remembered Jeremy's code. She pressed it quickly and it opened to reveal the gorgeous supercomputer with Jeremy on it.

She was surprised when he didn't look surprised to see her. His eyes were covered by the glare of the computer screen as he spoke in a monotone. "Ulrich sent you?"

"Yes."

"Head for the scanners. I'm sending you to the same sector you went to before. There's an activated tower and the others will meet you there soon."

"Right."

Chelsea turned into the elevator.

"Chelsea?"

"Yes?"

"Don't disappoint me this time."

The elevator closed and she traveled downward, a sinking feeling rising in the pit of her stomach. As Chelsea thought that she suddenly laughed. A _sinking_ feeling _rising_ in the pit of her stomach. It was kind of funny.

And it helped keep her mind off of the constant worry that had been with her since Ulrich had told her to go to the factory. What if she did let them down? What if she lost control again? Whatever that was that had controlled her might do it again.

No. Chelsea decided she wouldn't let that happen again. She couldn't endanger her friends anymore. She had to prove to them that she was worthy of being a Lyoko guardian.

"Transfer, Chelsea!"

She stepped into the scanners, closing her eyes in remembrance of the first time and holding still.

"Scanner, Chelsea!"

What would happen when she got there?

"Virtualization!"

Chelsea dropped into the sector just as Odd, Yumi and Aelita came out of the whole from Sector 5.

Yumi gasped when she hopped of the Overwing. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I was sent to help," Chelsea said, restraining herself from cutting words. _Prove yourself, prove yourself._

"Wow, Jeremy must be getting desperate," Yumi growled.

Odd stepped up. "Hey, Yumi, lay off. If Jeremy sent her then we can trust her."

"Yeah right," Yumi growled.

"Chelsea are you alright?" Jeremy called suddenly.

Chelsea looked up at the sky. "Yeah, why?"

"Because there was a problem with the transfer again. I have no idea what it could be this time," Jeremy said, his voice filled with confusion.

"It's because even Lyoko itself doesn't want a traitor here," Yumi snapped.

"Lay off," Chelsea said fast. "I haven't done anything to you so just stop pestering me!"

"Not to me, of course but to Odd and Aelita!" Yumi said.

"That wasn't my fault!"

"Of course it was! You shot them out of your own will!"

"No I didn't!"

"Just leave! We don't need your trashy help."

"Don't need my help? Yumi why-Oh."

"Oh…what?"

"Nothing."

"Say it, freak!"

"You're just jealous!"

"Jealous of what?"

"That another girl is hanging out with your precious Ulrich!"

"What? Your mad."

"Am I? I think you're just as bad as Sissy. The second a girl warms up to him you get pissed and jealous thinking he's going to ditch you for some other girl, right?"

"…"

"Well, you don't have to worry."

"…why?"

"Anytime I'm around him all I hear is about how much he cares for you."

Yumi, Odd, and Aelita stood there looking at Chelsea. Her voice had been pained, wavering for just a second. Yumi was more surprised on the fact that Ulrich did care for her. She knew it was obvious but hearing it straight from her newest rival had to mean it was true!

Chelsea bit her lip. Saying it out of her mouth had made her believe it. Ulrich still liked Yumi. She had figured she could do nothing to break him free of the girl he's liked for so long just to be with someone he just met but…girls hope.

Chelsea suddenly cried out and dropped to her knees in pain, grasping her head. She screamed as pain tore through her mind and took over, just like the time before. She broke into a sweat and groped the ground, searching for something to hold onto. She felt like she needed to restrain herself as something began to take over.

"Jer-e…my!" Chelsea managed to cry, her face turning red.

"Chelsea, what's going on?" Jeremy demanded.

"I-c-can…t con…tro-ol my-self!" Chelsea choked.

"Everyone back up! Something's happened! Chelsea isn't safe!" Jeremy cried.

Suddenly Chelsea stopped shaking. She stood and opened her eyes and at that moment, they knew Chelsea wasn't Chelsea anymore.


	10. Chapter 9: Plans Unfurled

_Here's the almost last chapter...almost. the last chapter is the aftermath really. here you go. REVIEW!_

Chapter 9: Plan Unfurled

Back outside, William finally got up enough strength to toss Ulrich off and aside. Ulrich rolled away and sprung up onto his feet.

William grinned, his Xana possessed eyes flashing devilishly. "I want to thank you, Ulrich."

Ulrich flinched at the sound of his name coming out of a mouth that Xana was using as his own. Neither he nor any of the others had ever been called by their first names from Xana. It just wasn't done.

"Why are you thanking me?" Ulrich demanded.

William lunged forward and leaped, throwing his foot into Ulrich's stomach. Ulrich flew backwards and hit the cement hard, William standing over him, the accusing foot still on his chest.

Ulrich groaned and tried focusing on William's face but his eyes were blurred from the effect of hitting the hard concrete.

"I want to thank you for being so protective of dear Chelsea. I wouldn't want my little weapon to get hurt," William said, his tone still in the raspy and cracked Xana tone.

Ulrich grabbed William's leg suddenly and yanked it away. William collapsed onto Ulrich and Ulrich kicked him off, standing. He wiped sweat off his forehead. "She is NOT your weapon. She is on our team."

William smiled. "You only think that Ulrich…you only think that."

AAAAAAAAAA

Chelsea moved like a bullet as she yanked out her bow and knocked an arrow firing at Yumi. Yumi barely had time to duck as an icy arrow passed over her head. She spun to a stand, not hesitating to let a fan fly.

Chelsea arched her back, dodging the fan on its way to hit her easily. As it came round behind her she didn't even look as she backflipped, yanked out and arrow and as she turned, fired.

Yumi let out a cry as it came at her faster then her fan could reach her and moved to get her other one.

"Shield!" Yumi looked up to see the arrow crash into Odd's transparent shield as he stood in front of her.

"Odd…"

Odd instead leaped forward and tackled Chelsea out of the air. He shoved her shoulders into the ground. "Go to the tower, Yumi! Chelsea will be better once you deactivate it!"

"Right!" Yumi said and she grabbed onto Aelita's arm, dragging her away. As she ran Odd could hear her yell to Jeremy for the Overwing.

"Let me go!" Chelsea yelled.

"You can talk?" Odd demanded.

"Of course I can. Now let me go, Odd. I'm better," Chelsea said, struggling fiercely under him. Odd hesitated, looking up as Yumi and Aelita flew away towards the tower. It looked like a good enough distance away to be safe.

Slowly, hesitantly, Odd got up. Chelsea stood, brushing her dress off.

"Good, let's get Aelita to the tower," Odd said.

"Wait, Odd," Chelsea sad, cocking a hip.

Odd turned back to her. "What is it? We need to hurry."

"I just wanted to apologize," Chelsea said looking down.

"It's okay….you have nothing to apologize about. We'll figure out what happened," Odd said. Satisfied with his answer he went to go to the tower but Chelsea stopped him again.

"Not for that…" she said. Odd turned back to her. She looked up at him slowly and Odd saw her eyes.

"Oh no…"

Chelsea leapt up and kicked Odd in the side of his head, twisting it down. Odd slammed into the ground and lay there, too dizzy or confused to get up.

"I was apologizing for that," Chelsea grinned, her green eyes alight with the same Xana flicker. She spun and took off after Aelita and Yumi.

Jeremy heard and witnessed this all. "Yumi! Stop, Chelsea!"

Yumi spun around and yelled as an arrow slammed into her arm, pinning her shoulder into a try. Yumi moved to pull it out when she saw ice spreading from its tip onto her body.

"Oh! Jeremy! Why the heck did you have to give her _ice_ arrows?" Yumi shrieked, clawing at the ice as Chelsea raced by.

Jeremy ignored her and urged Aelita on to a run.

Aelita gasped as Chelsea gained on her speedily. She now knew how convenient it was for Chelsea to run so much. She gained that speed. Aelita quickly made a plan and began to sing as she ran.

Chelsea was crying, screaming even but no one could hear her. She was again stuck inside her own body without control. She was watching through her own eyes as she pursued her friends. She knew her real body could never pull some of the stunts that she had done. Xana must've beefed up her body somehow.

All of Chelsea senses but sight had been taken from her. She was breathing but felt no air. She was seeing but could not move. It was like she was watching a video of her life.

Chelsea watched as she pursued Aelita. Suddenly the vision went black and Chelsea was thrown into control again.

At once all her senses exploded down upon her. Her head was screaming with pain, there was a ringing in her ears and her voice was back to her.

Another pain shocked her from behind. Someone had hit her again. She tested her reflexes before, trembling, stood to face her attacker. Yumi stood over her menacingly.

Chelsea was surprised that the girl had managed to take the arrow out before he ice engulfed her. "Yumi, I-"

"Get down you freak," Yumi snapped, kicking her in the stomach. Chelsea coughed for breath and keeled over. While she was on the ground she saw what had originally caused her to come back to control of her body. Aelita had sang a huge boulder in front of her and she had slammed into it.

"Yumi, stop," Odd called as he jogged up to them.

"You can't possibly be defending her, Odd!" Yumi said incredulously.

"No, but we might need her. We have to know just how long she's been working for Xana," Odd said simply.

"I'm not working for Xana!" Chelsea yelled, leaping to her feet. The second she was standing she was on the floor again, this time with Odd clutching her down.

"Odd, I believe her now," Jeremy said suddenly. "I think Xana has the ability to possess her. But…I don't know how."

Yumi glared at Chelsea and then at Odd when he released her. With that she ran off. "I'm making sure Aelita gets to the tower!"

Odd frowned after her but rolled his eyes at Chelsea. She gave a weak smile. She appreciated that Odd was trying to cheer her up but it wasn't doing any good.

AAAAAAA

William's head slammed into Ulrich's stomach, causing him to fly backwards into a nearby pole. Ulrich slumped down, unable to move and hardly able to think clearly. His head was throbbing through his numbness, he felt a wet drop of blood stream down his cheek.

"Ulrich, you really don't understand do you?" William asked. He walked over and bent down, raising Ulrich's chin to look him in the eyes. Ulrich groaned and fought back, yanking his head away and lashing out.

It was a fight in vain. William grasped onto Ulrich's outstretched arm. "Don't you see, Ulrich? Chelsea doesn't know she's been my pawn the whole time."

AAAAAAA

"Alright, Jeremy!" Yumi said. She was ten feet in front of the tower, keeping alert as she looked back to make sure Chelsea hadn't pulled what she had done earlier. She looked ahead of her and saw no enemy. She turned to Aelita who was bent down beside her. "Let's go, slowly. You don't know what he's got planned."

"Slow, but fast, Yumi," Jeremy said. "I'm not sure how long Ulrich's got left.

AAAAAA

"You're lying. She just moved here. And you would've had to activate a tower," Ulrich growled, trying to tug his arm back; it was useless, as the impact from slamming into the metal pole had caused him to become almost listless. The only thing he could do was listen as Xana's possessed pawn went on to reveal his plan.

"Ulrich, think, my boy," William gave a cold, hard chuckle. "Who do you think changed her parents' job through an email from their boss? Who do you think recommended to them through digital, fake flyers that Kadic was the best choice for their daughter? Who do you think has her programmed in the database so she can remember and therefore get to you?"

Ulrich gasped at the realizations. Xana did all of it. He changed Chelsea's parents' job! He sent her to Kadic! With even more amazement Ulrich realized Xana had even set Chelsea up to be in to the same room as Aelita. All he had to do was tap into the computer's database!

"Why?" Ulrich demanded. He suddenly gained strength from his new revelation and began to stand on weak wobbling legs.

"Because I can win with a pawn, Ulrich."

AAAAAAA

Yumi breathed out a sigh of relief as Aelita stepped into the tower. It was finished. Xana would have to recharge for about an hour before he could activate another tower to stop them and then they could get rid of Chelsea's profile in the fifth sector. This chaotic time would be over. With luck Yumi could even persuade Odd and Jeremy from introducing themselves to her. It would be impossible to get her away from Aelita as Aelita was her roommate but Yumi could live with her then. The only trouble she'd have is getting Ulrich to back off. Yumi knew that even though Chelsea has betrayed them all she was still in Ulrich's favor. But Yumi believed that with a bit of persuading she would have her way. She was sick of having to fight for Ulrich's attention. It had driven her insane when Sissy threw herself at Ulrich even though he could care less. She was going mad from the inside out now when a girl other than herself actually managed to capture his attention, how ever friendly it might be.

Yes, Yumi thought, leaning against the side of the tower. This would all be over soon.

AAAAAAAAAAAA

"What about the one you're using now?"

"This? This pathetic boy can do little but use brute strength to push his way to victory," William said, staring with a disgusted look on his face at his own body.

"What I needed was a talented child," William went on. "So I found one. I found one that would take to your liking and one that had a hard past. Chelsea was the perfect candidate. She was aired on the Internet on her parents' photography profile and they told her life story. No, they didn't go into details about her anger problems but they let enough slip. They expressed that she was fluent in self-defense and had an average intelligence. I knew the fighting skills would succeed to be another reason for letting her join you."

Ulrich's eyes got bigger by the minute. Xana had specifically chosen Chelsea to come here because Xana knew Ulrich would like her! If Xana could do something like this, what else could he do?

"And she ended up joining the Lyoko team," William went on. "Of course Yumi and Jeremy needed some persuading so I continued this little escapade. Then things went wrong. The attack I had scheduled failed to keep you busy while I activated my control on Chelsea from my database. Odd got Aelita to the tower too quickly and I had to focus on my next plan to control Chelsea permanently."

"You snake! How could you tamper with a human's life like that? You destroyed it! All of her friends, her family! You made her leave them all for your stupid plot! Her whole life was destroyed by you!" Ulrich cried, finally standing. His fists shook with anger.

"I have no remorse for my decision, child. You humans are pathetic creatures who are meant to do as they're told. Just take a look at how easily Chelsea's parents moved. They did it without even questioning how their only daughter would be effected by this," Xana smirked, smiling.

"Why are you telling me all of this? Aren't you afraid of me knowing your plot?" Ulrich demanded, throwing his last hard punch at William. William caught it easily.

"Because Ulrich. My control on this body is about to be disconnected when Aelita deactivates the tower. The second she does, she activates a program in _my_ database, which will turn Chelsea into a permanent lethal weapon under my control. And I'm letting you live to suffer."

In that instant, William let go of him and smiled. "Try and stop her Ulrich. This plan is flawless."

Ulrich didn't need to be told twice. He leapt away from William and into the elevator. The possessed teenager didn't pursue him as he upped the speed on the elevator, making it run faster. It tore down the shaft and skidded to a stop on Jeremy's level. Aelita's voice let loose from the computer as Ulrich tumbled onto the ground.

"Tower, deactivated."

"Jeremy, _no!"_

"Ulrich-" 

AAAAAAAAA

At once on Lyoko Chelsea's body gained a red aura around it. She screamed as she lost control once again of her body, only this time more easily. Her eyes flashed a deep black and she lunged at Odd.

"Jeremy! Devirtualize, Chelsea! She's possessed!" Odd cried, having to hold Chelsea's bow back away from her other hand, which was holding the arrow. When Chelsea realized she couldn't get the arrow to the bow she slammed it into Odd's chest anyway.

Jeremy typed in the code t get the girl out but the red exclamation point of doom sprang to life and screamed no good.

Yumi leapt to her feet as she watched Odd cry out and disperse into data. "You liar! Scum! Dirt!"

Yumi swung around and let both fans fly hard before Chelsea knew what hit her. Chelsea flew backward and cringed against the ground. For the moment the red aura flickered and then it strengthened. The girl leapt to her feet even faster than Yumi had attacked and she fired a range of three ice arrows.

"Yumi, duck!" Jeremy cried, throwing his arms up in surprise.

Yumi flattened herself onto the ground and rolled to her feet as the arrows pierced the tower's side. Luckily, Aelita exited just moments afterwards.

"Aelita, be careful!" Yumi called. "Chelsea is possessed.

"Just get into the tower Aelita," Jeremy said urgently. "I'll devirtualize you."

"No, Jeremy," Ulrich said, getting up from the ground to walk over and stand by Jeremy's side. "If you devirtualize Aelita, there will be no way to stop Chelsea. You need to send her to Sector 5 and erase Chelsea's memory off Xana's database."

"How do you know this?" Jeremy demanded.

"William told me," Ulrich said simply and headed towards the elevator. "Jeremy, I'm going to Lyoko."

"No Ulrich, you barely got out an hour ago. The transfer home could be dangerous for you," Jeremy protested.

"I don't care," Ulrich said. "Yumi cannot go on a solo mission when Xana has a hyper-villain on the lose ready to devirtualize her and kill Aelita. Or hand her over to the Scyphozoa."

Jeremy rubbed his temples. Grudgingly, he began to type in the code to virtualize him.

The elevator stopped and Ulrich stepped waited as Odd's scanner opened and the boy groaned, rising to his feet. "She's all yours, buddy."

Ulrich rolled his eyes, helping his friend to the elevator. "Wouldn't miss this date for the world."

"Be careful though," Odd said. Ulrich looked at him with a raised brow as he backed away. Odd broke into a goofy grin. "She's feisty."

Ulrich chuckled and shoved the boy into the elevator. It closed and he turned and stepped into the scanner.

"Transfer, Ulrich."

AAAAAAA

"You're a stupid, stupid jerk!" Yumi was screaming as she and Chelsea dropped the weapons all together and were fighting with their hands and feet.

Yumi swung a roundhouse kick, wiping it up at the opposing girl's head. Chelsea, holding the boost of Xana, ducked easily and popped a leg out of her own. Yumi was wiped clean off her feet.

Chelsea shoved a knee into Yumi's stomach, pinning her on the ground. Swiftly she moved to pull out another ice arrow but a hand stopped her arm. She turned to look slowly at the culprit to find Ulrich glaring angrily at her.

Chelsea watched and felt Xana's hold on her grow stronger. He knew that Chelsea didn't want to fight Ulrich of all people. Truthfully, Chelsea had enjoyed fighting Yumi.

"Chelsea fight. Xana told me his whole plan!" Ulrich exclaimed. Xana's possession over Chelsea made her fight for her arm but Ulrich's grip was stronger.

Chelsea obeyed. She fought hard against Xana's hold but she had no spirit. As much as she wanted to break free, she was beginning to feel some hateful satisfaction that she could fight Ulrich. He had told her secret and betrayed her. What did she owe to any of these people after all they had put her through?

She let go of fighting and felt Xana's pleasure rise as a new tremor of orders was thrown at her and her body automatically obeyed.

Chelsea's opposite arm swung with lightning speed, slamming into the side of Ulrich's head. He let go, grasping his head in pain and Chelsea leaped off Yumi and grabbed onto Aelita's arm.

"Chelsea, stop it! It's me, Aelita! Please!" Aelita begged as they raced across the sector to the end.

"I'm not Chelsea. Chelsea's gone now," a voice that sounded very much like Chelsea's came out of her mouth. But it was raspy and had a raspy, electronic ring to it.

No! I'm not gone, Chelsea cried from inside. But she couldn't even hear herself.

The girls stopped at edge of the sector and waited for a few moments before the Sector 5 transport appeared and slowly began to descend towards them.

Just before it landed a fan sliced across the air and drove itself into Chelsea's arm, forcing her to release Aelita. Aelita cried out and raced away, heading to where Yumi was coming with Ulrich coming at a super sprint in front of her.

"Jeremy! What luck do we have if _we_ devirtualize Chelsea?" Ulrich called as he ran. "You know, get rid of all her life points?"

Jeremy didn't respond as he began typing for what use that might be and the stress on the young genius raised even more. "Xana has this plan nailed Ulrich! If you devirtualize Chelsea, Xana will delete her genetic code. She'll be lost forever!"

Ulrich groaned aloud. The only hope of fixing this mess was Sector 5. There they needed to get there and delete Chelsea's code on Xana's database. It was the only way of fixing this. And even then she'd still be able to remember he return to the past as she's still on Jeremy's database.

He returned his focus as he neared the girls. Aelita had gotten away thanks to Yumi but now Chelsea was pursuing her. Ulrich sped up. If he got to Aelita first Chelsea would be out of luck.

Chelsea apparently thought of this first. She pulled out her bow and knocked an ice arrow as she ran. If she hadn't been under Xana's control Ulrich would've applauded her on such skill. But now was not the time. Chelsea let the arrow loose and it stabbed into Aelita's ankle.

The elf-girl screamed as the ice consumed her leg and stuck to the ground. She was stuck. Chelsea leapt behind her and held her bow to the victim's neck. "Come any closer and she's gone forever."

Ulrich's lip curled into a sneer but he stopped. "Come now Xana, as you are the one really speaking here. I know you need Aelita's memory. You aren't going to kill her now are you?"

Chelsea's facial expression matched his own as Yumi came to Ulrich's side. "Come now Ulrich. Do you really believe I was talking about Aelita?"

Ulrich and Yumi stared in shock as Chelsea swiftly brought an arrow down through the ice in Aelita leg. It broke but Chelsea, still holding Aelita at the neck went to stand deadly close to the edge of the sector.

"You come any closer, and Chelsea is as good as dead. I only have a link into the girl's body. I can kill her and have no effect on me whatsoever," Chelsea snarled.

Yumi rolled her eyes and started forward but Ulrich threw out an arm o hold her back.

"Ulrich! We would never have let Xana possess us. We can't let him get away just because Chelsea was careless," Yumi said. Her face softened a bit. "I'm sick of this."

Ulrich's face softened as well to her. At the moment he realized how much he had neglected Yumi since Chelsea had gotten here. Staring at her beautiful pale face and gorgeous brown eyes only made him wish he hadn't.

"Yumi, I'm sorry I've acted so bad lately…" Ulrich muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

"It's okay," Yumi said quickly, blushing. She thought he looked adorable when he was guilty.

"Yumi, Ulrich!" Jeremy suddenly yelled. They turned their attention fast back to the battle at hand just as Chelsea forced Aelita into the transporter.

Ulrich watched with horror as the transporter began to spin, Chelsea blowing him a mocking kiss as it closed and tore away.

"What _were_ you two _doing_ that you let this happen?" Jeremy demanded.

"Sorry, Jeremy," Yumi muttered as they stepped into the transport.

"Sorry doesn't cut it Yumi!" Jeremy exploded. "Aelita could be in the Scyphozoa's clutches right now! Both of you are in trouble."

"Jeremy, not now," Ulrich groaned. "We're the ones breaking our necks out here to save her. Cut us some slack if we stray a bit. Yumi has been on Lyoko long enough as it is."

"Fine."

AAAAAAAAAAA

"Chelsea stop it!" Aelita cried, clawing at Chelsea's iron grip. The elf was tugging and scraping to get away as Chelsea dragged her down the entryway and through the gates. The timer did not go on.

Inside her own body Chelsea was pulling to flee from Xana's grasp on her but not enough to care. When the sound of doors opening behind her reached her and Xana's ears she twisted to see Ulrich sprinting towards her and Yumi right behind him.

"Come on!" Chelsea shouted and yanked on Aelita's arm and they leapt towards the gigantic revolving elevator.

"No!" Ulrich yelled. "Chelsea stop!"

"Ulrich!" Yumi yelled from behind him. "Throw me!"

"What?" he demanded.

"Throw me!"

The elevator came and Chelsea threw Aelita on it, tossing herself aboard as well. Ulrich spun around and grasped Yumi by the waist. He moved to throw her but before he did he laid one swift kiss on her lips and uttered the words, "Good luck."

Yumi was so surprised that he had kissed her that she almost forgot her purpose for flying through the air. With ferocity, Yumi spun in air and threw her fans.

Chelsea screamed as they sliced across her back, dropping Aelita's arm. Yumi flew through the air and barely managed to grasp onto the edge of the fast-moving elevator. "Aelita! Help!"

Aelita leapt towards Yumi, falling on her stomach and barely managing to catch her friend before she fell. She pulled up and both girls turned around to see Chelsea clawing the ground and crying.

"She's fighting," Aelita breathed.

Yumi would not fall for it. She stood and grasped her fans, standing in front of Aelita. Finally, their stop came and Yumi and Aelita raced out onto the platform.

"What do we do?" Aelita demanded.

"Do what Ulrich said," Yumi urged. "Find Chelsea's code in Xana's database and delete it.

"But where's the screen?" Aelita cried. There was only open space before her, dropping down to the bottom of the sector.

"Aelita, do you read me?" Jeremy called.

"Yes Jeremy," Aelita said.

"Walk up to the edge with a hand up. The screen should appear. It'll work like the tower screen. You touch and pull," Jeremy said.

Aelita nodded and made her way towards the edge just as a stab of pain erupted in her leg once more. She looked down and saw with horror that she was once again iced to the ground.

Chelsea stood in the knocked stance when Yumi and Aelita looked to her. She dropped her battle stance and moved towards the edge. "Don't go any farther or Chelsea dies."

Yumi was trying hard to care but it wasn't working. Then she had the sudden image of Ulrich's pained face over Chelsea's murder and new ferocity rose up within her. "Fine. We won't move."

"Agh!" Once again Ulrich came to the rescue. He locked Chelsea's arms behind her back and kicked her to her knees.

"Ulrich! Get off me!" Chelsea screamed.

Yumi made her way to Aelita and pulled out her fans, whacking up the ice keeping Aelita stuck.

"Hurry Aelita!" Ulrich yelled as Chelsea struggled harder. He wrapped an arm around her forehead and forced it backward to listen. "Chelsea you need to listen to me. I know you're in there and I know you can fight better than this. Chelsea, please."

Chelsea listened intently. She still let Xana have the upper hand but she was interested in what Ulrich had to say.

"Chelsea Xana was behind all of it!" Ulrich cried in her ear. "He changed your parents job! He sent you to Kadic! He plugged you in the computer so you would remember the return to the past trips! It was all him!"

Chelsea felt rage and anger and all her insides begin to take over. Xana! He destroyed her life! He did it! He had sent her away from a happy life, a happy family. She could no longer stay in the confinement with her parents because of Xana! Just for this stupid plan!

As Chelsea fought for her conscious back, Xana fought hard. He forced Chelsea's head back which slammed into Ulrich's, throwing him backward. He made her yank out her bow and arrow and fire at him so he was frozen on the ground. He made her stand and fight Yumi. He made her kick and twist until Yumi was on the ground, pinned with a foot. He made her knock another arrow and devirtualize Yumi. He made her do it all.

As Xana pushed her towards Aelita who was frantically searching for the code, Chelsea fought her hardest. She would not be controlled anymore. She would not let him hurt her friends anymore. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

With a final scream Chelsea dropped to her knees and was thrown into control again. She breathed hard. "Aelita hurry! I don't think I can keep control much longer…"

Ulrich's ice eventually broke and he stood, moving to Chelsea's side. "Hold on. Please hold on."

Aelita moved her hands fiercely across the screen. "I can't find it, Jeremy!"

"It's in there! I ran a scan!" Jeremy insisted. "Hurry, Aelita!"

Ulrich grasped Chelsea's shoulders as he bent down beside her. "Come on, Chels. Let Aelita do this!"

"Swat trickled down Aelita's forehead. "Almost…there…"

Chelsea grasped her head. Xana was winning back control again.

Jeremy gripped the armrests in panic. Aelita need to do this! He gasped as another threat cam onto the screen. The Scyphozoa. "Aelita! Ulrich!"

Ulrich lanced behind him and his eyebrows raised when he saw the Scyphozoa. A determined glare set on his face and he shook Chelsea's shoulders as she began groaning. "Hang in there! _Come on!" _

The Scyphozoa passed Ulrich and Chelsea and moved to wrap around Aelita.

"I got it!" Aelita screamed and she quickly moved her fingers and deleted it.

Ulrich caught Chelsea as she suddenly went limp in his arms. He set her down and sprang to life, slashing through the Scyphozoa. It roared and grudgingly floated away.

Ulrich sighed and collapsed by Chelsea. "Jeremy send us a ride. Let's go home…"


	11. Chapter 10: Epilogue

Chapter 10: Epilogue

Chelsea woke up in her bed. She felt the cloth around her and saw that she was in her room at Kadic. It felt strange though. She could still feel the steady throb of Xana's pulse in her…an unwanted memory.

She didn't remember anything only that she had been possessed. She called Ulrich's urging voice and then losing consciousness but that was it.

A light knock came on the door.

"Come in," Chelsea called. She mused how hoarse her voice sounded.

In came the gang, looking brighter than usual but slightly tired. Ulrich leaned against the door as he shut it behind them. Yumi and Aelita plopped on Aelita's bed and Odd leaned against the wall at the edge of Chelsea's bed. Jeremy stood in front of her.

"Chelsea, we need to have a talk," he began. He glanced down at her, waiting for her to say something.

Chelsea breathed out a sigh. "I want to ask some questions first."

Jeremy looked to his friends and all of them nodded. They were ready for answering.

Chelsea sat up. "Okay…why do I feel as bad as I do? Didn't you guys do a return to the past?"

"No," Jeremy said.

"But William…he'll get in trouble, won't he?"

"We pulled some strings in my program to only push back Sissy's memory and those who she told. You and William are fine," Jeremy replied.

"I…what happened?" Chelsea asked softly. "I don't remember what I did or what happened. Only bits and pieces. How did you guys win?"

"Because of you," Ulrich spoke up. "You broke free of Xana's hold in the end and managed to keep fighting until Aelita pulled your code out of Xana's database."

"Will he be able to do it again?" Chelsea questioned.

"No," Aelita said. "Jeremy and I fixed a program so Xana can't enter anymore people into his database. You're safe and so is everyone else."

Chelsea sighed and leaned back on her elbows. "Okay…lay on the talk."

Jeremy nodded. "Chelsea you've been through a lot. Fighting Xana, momentarily thinking you were insane…struggling with our criticism. We apologize for not believing you."

"Yeah, Chels," Odd said. "We kind of jumped to conclusions when Ulrich told us about…your…issues."

Chelsea nodded, both her and Ulrich shifting uncomfortably.

"Yumi," Jeremy turned to look at her.

Yumi looked bewildered and then she groaned softly and muttered a single word. "Sorry."

Ulrich shot her an accusing look across the room. Yumi raised an upset brow at him before sighing and sitting up higher. "Sorry, Chelsea."

Ulrich, looking satisfied also looked at her, guilty even. "I'm sorry too. I…shouldn't have said anything about your secret. You put your trust in me…in all of us and we failed you."

"We also failed you when we didn't believe you about being controlled," Jeremy said. "I was stupid for not listening to you. It was…I guess I just wanted so much to believe that there was something so wrong with you that you could be forced off the team that I…jumped to conclusions."

The group was silent for a moment. Chelsea fiddled with her fingers and then sighed and spoke. "I guess I should apologize too. I just walked in on you guys without really knowing what I was getting into. I blamed you guys for this situation when it was beyond any of us and I really shouldn't have. I'm sorry about the way I treated you, too, Yumi."

Yumi looked surprised and then her face changed to a look that said without saying, "Don't you dare bring up what you said to me about Ulrich or else…"

Chelsea shrugged. If Yumi wasn't going to accept her apology she didn't have to. She looked back at the others. "What now?"

"Well…this whole thing turned out not to be your fault at all," Jeremy said.

"What do you mean, whole thing?" Chelsea asked cocking her head.

Ulrich walked over to her and sat down on the bed beside her. "Don't you remember when you were possessed and I told you about Xana's whole plan? That was when you fought back so hard and kept fighting until Aelita could take Xana out of your system."

Chelsea looked back and only recalled Ulrich's voice again only this time she was able to dissever the words. _He changed your parents' job! He sent you to Kadic! He plugged you in the computer so you would remember the return to the past trips! It was all him!_

Immediately a sinking feeling fell in her and more familiar fury began to rise. "That…jerk!"

"Chels…" Ulrich started but fell silent as he looked at her, once again feeling as horrible as he had when William had told him what Xana's plan was. Her whole life destroyed just because Xana wanted to win.

Jeremy took up where he left off. "Because of this Chelsea…the majority has decided to let you decide whether you want to be in the group or go back to before you even met us."

"_What?"_

Chelsea could hardly believe her ears. To be given the chance to go back to the way things were before she ever moved to Kadic. She'd see her parents more. She'd have her old, accepting friends back. She would forget that any of this ever happened. Chelsea almost smiled at the idea. Her life would go back to being simple, fun and happy. It was…a chance of a lifetime to be able to redo things.

She then stopped herself and looked at the other side of things. She looked at all the faces of the people standing in the room before her and realized maybe she wasn't ready to give this up. That had brought her into a world where she was a warrior. She had a purpose more than just being a photographer's daughter. She saved the world and shared it with these people. Would she be a coward to back out of such an opportunity just because her being there was almost an accident? Looking at her friends again she knew they would never judge her by the choice she chose to take.

Ad then there was leaving. She'd forget these wonderful, beautiful people whose characters can't be matched in any way. They weren't just any old friends off the street. They would risk their lives to save her just like they did on Lyoko. They were true friends.

Chelsea turned and looked at Ulrich, her green eyes shining. "So…when's the first practice?"

AAAAAAA

_I have to thank ALL of my reviewers, old and new. You guys are really in the end what keeps me going. Even when Code Lyoko is temporarily canceled, all I have to do is go to my reviews to make my ego and my inspiration again. _

_A special thanks goes out to: _

_Janika_

_Rycr_

_StrugglinArtist_

_The Black Racer_

_UlrichxEragon_

_Acutekitty1_

_Akito Shaoku Mizukouken_

_long lost sorrow (my bestest buddy!)_

_Franken-XANA_

_and much much more. I especially wanted to thank you guys by name because you stuck with the story through and through and gave a review for almost every single chapter and I thank you for that. I also much thank EVERYONE who has this sotry on their watch! That makes me feel so SPECIAL that all of you like it enough to watch it and read, even if you don't review. So THANK YOU to all! _

_By the way, there will be just one more new character added to the SAA series and he's a permanent member, me peeps. He shows up, actually, in a small story linking the first book of SAA to the second one. So please, take a look at this. The link is in my profile!The guy who made the character is my idle so treat him and his wicked awesome character well. check it out and review! G-Force is literally one of THE best authors (and vocie actors) out there!_


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